Devil's Light
by PXLight
Summary: AU. The love between siblings is an unbreakable bond; a connection so powerful that it can prevail through any darkness. Lelouch manages to retrieve Nunnally before she takes her role as Viceroy in Area 11. "...Open your eyes." "Wh-what?" "Just trust me."
1. Reunion

**Disclaimer:** _Code Geass does not belong to me but to Sunrise, CLAMP, and Bandai Entertainment. _

A/N: Because most people are unaware of this fact, 'PXLight' is a joint account; my friend and I are using it to post our fanfics on this site. Knowing this, our respective chapter updates will not be delayed due to the other; I just wanted to let you know that (if you are aware of my friend, Oki's, fic "Corruption" in this category as well, then you would understand my slight concern).

I was re-watching episode 6 in Code Geass R2 and this idea just swelled into my mind. I tried to resist knowing that this would absorb a lot of my time (and I do relish the moments of freedom I possess between school and life) but, in the end, I lost the battle. I suppose that is more or less good news for all of the readers out there... oh well.

I know that a lot of this chapter will seem rather redundant, but I implore you to still read it. It was an effort to portray the scene and I do not want it to go to waste. It can also serve as a good recap, I suppose; reminisce on good times. However, this will be the only chapter that previews this much of the same information as the actual episode, so do not worry about having to go through something like this ever again.

Even before I write, I already look forward to the outcome.  
>I pray that you read and enjoy!<p>

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><p>"You're Zero, aren't you? The terrorist. Have you come to kill me as well?"<p>

Zero stopped in his tracks, unwilling to come any closer to the Britannian princess. Perhaps it was because of the feelings swarming in his mind; the fact that he managed to get this close to accomplishing the mission brought up a sense of euphoria. However, just the sight of seeing the girl was enough to drive him into a temporary state of insanity. Overwhelming feelings of happiness, sorrow, longing, and anger washed over him as he remained silent.

The resounding footsteps abruptly halted, instigating courage into the crippled girl before him. The princess was unable to walk and was blind; sound was what she relied on to tell her of what was occurring. Noticing that the feared terrorist and the most hated enemy of her country was in front of her, a cold chill was sent down her spine. She shivered with fear. However, when she realized that he wasn't as aggressive now and was passively listening to what she had to say, she did her best to remain calm and continue.

"Like you killed my brother Clovis and my sister Euphie; am I to die by your hand today? Even so, I would like for you to wait just a moment... please." The girl cringed as she felt tears building up in her eyes. In her mind's eye, the menacing image of a black cloaked man in an evil mask stood over her, filling her body with despair. The same man was apparently before her, unmoving. She wouldn't be able to help herself if he was to do anything, but the adrenaline rushing through her veins forced her on.

For a moment, she paused. The sounds of the birds tweeting increased; she was jealous of their bliss. Their noise was starting to get on her nerves instead of the calming effect they were supposed to have in this Garden of Eden. Their frivolous flapping aggravated the butterflies which caused them to scatter all at once. For a moment, a wall of white, scaled wings surrounded her, but it wasn't enough to keep Zero away. Perhaps enveloping herself with such beautiful creatures wouldn't be enough to prevent the terrorist leader from killing her.

What was she thinking?  
>There is no time to be dwelling on such irrelevant thoughts.<p>

After scrambling to gather whatever remnants of courage she could find within herself, she clenched her fists and pointed her face straight across from her as though making eye contact with her opponent. She sighed outwardly. Unable to keep the sorrow out of her voice, she said, "I-I think what you are doing is wrong!"

"...And how is that?" a mechanical voice replied calmly. The voice alteration device installed shifted the resonation of the sound the man's normal voice created so the princess was unable to distinguish even the gender of this 'Zero' character. Still trying her best to conceal her emotions, the princess steeled herself up. She muttered a small mantra under her breath.

She was the new Viceroy of Area 11 after all.  
>Viceroy Nunnally.<br>And there's no way in _hell _that a terrorist would intimidate a person such as herself.

Unfortunately, this wasn't enough.

The sounds of battle outside boomed; it shook Nunnally up. "_Right now, Zero is standing in front of me."_ she reminded herself, part of her wanting to seek some form of courage from this fact but knowing that it would be for naught. Her lip quivered; the tears wouldn't stop building up, but she forced them down once again.

The voice of Lelouch through the phone suddenly came back to her.

"_...I love you!"_

"_Lelouch..."_ she pleaded in her mind. _"Give me the courage I need!"_

Seeing that Nunnally didn't have a response, Zero continued. "It's Britannia that is wrong." he remarked indifferently. "The Emperor believes that might is always right. Do you approve of that?" The way he said the words felt rather cold and contemptuous; almost as though they didn't belong in the terrorist's mouth. He voiced them out with a slightly choppy feel, almost as though those words together didn't want to even be heard in the same sentence.

However...

"_Zero asked me a question!"_ Nunnally screamed out in her mind, bile rising up her throat. Fear and panic swept over her; she wouldn't be surprised if she were traumatized by this event for the next few months. Sweat descended from her face as several different thoughts raced through her mind. _"Now I have no choice but to respond!"_

Unsure of what to say, only one word hesitantly dropped out of her mouth. "W-well..." That could possibly be the weakest protest the young girl had ever used in her entire life. She sulked in her seat, the embarrassment driving her deeper down into the abyss of agony.

"Viceroy Nunnally, you are just being used." Zero declared coldly.

'Used'.

The word ticked her off slightly. There is no way she would allow that. Thinking this, she finally found words to say and shot out of the abyss. Still remembering her memories of her brother Lelouch, she recollected herself and stopped quaking in fear within the confines of her wheelchair. "You're saying they sent a blind and crippled girl to win everyone's sympathy; then you're wrong."

Zero made a questioning noise; he was slightly surprised by what the Viceroy had said. She was claiming that his assumption was incorrect and the way she said it was rather vehement... could it be...? He allowed the girl to continue, wanting to listen to what else she had to say with a small fear lurking at the bottom of the pit.

"I asked them to send me." Nunnally declared, choking down a sob. "That's why I'm here."

The disguised terrorist gasped sharply for a split second, feeling his face twitch beneath the mask and veil over his face. The Viceroy's proclamation dented his ironclad demeanour. He had assumed that Nunnally was just acting as a political tool for the empire of Britannia; that she was a mere pawn that the Emperor was using to control him specifically. However, judging from this new revelation, it turns out Nunnally was thinking for herself and actually wanted to come and seize control of this war-torn country.

This made her a target.  
>This put Zero's beloved little sister on the borderline of death.<p>

There was a heavy silence that followed. It enveloped everything; even the birds caught on and quieted down. The butterflies stopped flying and took their respective places upon the white flowers of the secluded garden on board the _Logres_-class airship. A deep sense of foreboding sat upon all those in the room as the two people remained still.

A white dove suddenly fluttered between them loudly. A feather flipped off of its wings and landed on the ground before Zero, who had finally snapped out of his trance-like thought process. "Y-you requested it?" He was taken slightly aback by this, but nevertheless, he had to push onward.

"I think that with a peaceful approach, I can make the world a better place." Nunnally responded. "That's why I want to carry out Euphy's plan; to make the Specially Administrated Zone of Japan!" Her intonation grew until it was almost fearsome at the tip of the declaration. She hadn't discussed her intentions with anyone else before this and became nervous that sharing government plans with the terrorist would cause severe repercussions in the end.

But then she told herself that this was right.  
>Perhaps the beginning of her peaceful approach was with Zero.<br>That's what Euphy was going for as well, wasn't it?  
>If Euphy was willing to forgive Zero, then she should be prepared to do the same.<p>

"You'd have that returned?" Zero inquired in a manner that was surprising. Nunnally couldn't help but feel good about herself; the courage Lelouch lent her was amazing. She could almost see the look of surprise on the terrorist's face; she was affecting him and not appearing weak and cowardly before such a menacing figure. If her brother could see her now, she knew he would be so proud.

"Zero..." Nunnally pleaded softly. "Won't you please help me try to rebuild it...?" She extended her arm out courageously, praying in her mind that he would accept the offer despite what an off-chance something like that would be. However, if her beloved sister Euphemia could give him a chance, then so would she. Her hand met air and simply hung there; awaiting the gloved touch of the other it was pointing to.

Unbeknownst to her, Zero gasped sharply once again and staggered away from the hand. Just that posture reminded him of what had occurred a year ago when the exact same thing happened. He could just see Euphy's smile as she offered him the same offer just before he made one of the most tragic mistakes he had ever made and was forced to kill her. A single tear streaked down his face as he could only watch his sister continue to beg.

"People can start over!" Nunnally persisted, bringing her arm back down to her side. "Please!"

Another rumble shook the room, this one seeming to be a lot closer than the rest of them. The room was also on a slight slant, hinting that somehow, the engines had been shot down and they were falling into the ocean as of now. This left Zero with a bit less time than he had been anticipating in order to calculate what his next move should be.

"_What do I do...?"_ Zero thought to himself. _"I can't reveal Zero's identity to her but I can't take her by force either. I can see now that it would only traumatize her."_ He snapped out of his train of thought when he realized something important_. "Is that crashing sound getting closer?"_

Suddenly, the muted noise of war burst through into the garden at an intense rate followed by the sound of rushing wind. The smell of sea air rampaged in along with sakuradite emissions. A hole had been formed through the roof of the garden and from that hole came the _Lancelot_ _Conquista_ being piloted by the Knight of Seven, Suzaku Kururugi.

"Suzaku!" Zero growled as his most hated enemy appeared before him. Literally throwing away any objections he had against taking his beloved sister back by force, he sprinted towards her, fighting against the current of wind that was trying to suck everything out of the garden like a vacuum.

Zero focused only on Nunnally, who helplessly clung onto the side of her wheelchair to prevent herself from being thrown into the air due to the powerful force of the wind. _Lancelot Conquista_ was closing in much faster than Zero, but it was still a distance away and it had to take the time to turn off its _Blaze Luminous Cone._

"Escape with me!" Zero cried out desperately, feeling his cape flutter violently behind him. It was pulling him back.

"Nunnally!" Suzaku yelled out from his Knightmare cockpit.

"Suzaku!" Nunnally screamed towards the sound of the oncoming Knightmare just as Zero was only a single metre from her. The powerful updraft the _Lancelot Conquista_'s _float system_ caused caught onto Zero's cape, creating a gale as powerful as an F1 tornado.

Zero reached out; he was almost there! He wouldn't allow his cape to be the thing that prevented him from his reunion! Just as soon as he felt his cape drag him off the ground, he instinctively released the clip holding his cape together, allowing it to fly off. Now only in his elegant suit, he reached Nunnally just as Suzaku did, ripping her out of the wheelchair and dragging her off before correcting his position and lifting her on his shoulder like a fireman. A tremendous burst of energy kept him going and this time around, the breeze too was helping him onward. Perhaps luck was finally on his side.

The warmth of his sister beside his caused tears to form in his eyes, but he had no time to think. Using even the energy reserved for his complex thoughts, he forced his legs to keep on running despite the extra weight at a speed that Suzaku could be proud of. A rather stupid thought popped into his head, _"Perhaps at this speed, I could run up the wall too..." _He rolled his eyes and continued on, casting such a foolish temptation away.

Realizing that she had been captured and was now being taken away against her will by Zero, Nunnally tried her best to resist, but she was suddenly thrown onto his shoulder. Her head had impacted into his hard mask as well and gave her a concussion. She could only slump helplessly as she was carried off by the terrorist, unwilling to think what would happen as a result. Her head beat feverishly as her heart fluttered, utterly terrified.

Suzaku's Knightmare ended up crashing into the wheelchair, smashing it to pieces, only watching helplessly as Zero turned the corridor and bolted out with the princess. Tears formed before his eyes; he was unable to bear such a mistake. He couldn't chase after them and even if he did reach them, Zero would escape in the time required to carefully and precisely retrieve Nunnally. He burst back through the hole in the roof of the craft furiously and caught sight of the _Guren Flight-Enabled Version _cradling both the cape-less Zero and Viceroy Nunnally back to the ship down below.

He pointed his _VARIS_ gun at the speeding red Knightmare in an attempt to damage its _float_ _unit_ and fired. However, he missed as the impact the _Logres_-class battleship caused said ship to explode. The force impacted the Lancelot heavily along with the other Britannian forces out of the way and only served to help out the Black Knights as they withdrew.

"ZEROOOO!" Suzaku roared over the intercom as the _Guren_ landed safely on board the cargo ship belonging to the Black Knights. He was unable to fight back due to the damage his Knightmare. The explosion had damaged his float unit and he was unable to maintain air combat status. He was forced to land in the water as the flames of defeat cast a shadow over his face. His hair hid his eyes as he slammed his fists down on the dashboard, his eyes wild and his teeth gnashing. "You BASTARD!" he screamed. "NUNNALLY! ZEROOOO!"

One final gratifying attack from the _Guren_'s Wide-Range _Radiant_ _Wave_ _Surger_ caused his unit along with the remainder of the crafts around them immobile, allowing the Black Knights to escape unharmed. The pilot of the _Guren_, Kallen Kouzuki, landed onto the deck of the cargo ship and they set back off to the Tokyo settlement, leaving behind three defeated Knights of the Round and the remaining carnage from the successful Black Knights mission alone in the ocean.

* * *

><p>"Step back." Zero commanded monotonously as he walked through the ship to a private room. The Black Knights remained silent as they stepped aside, allowing their masked leader to pass down the hall with the Viceroy pounding tiredly against his chest in protest. Zero was carrying Nunnally bride style, cradling her body in his arms. She had given up trying to resist a long time ago and could do nothing but that. To Zero, it was slightly amusing, but considering that it was his sister protesting to his touch, he was hurt emotionally. In addition, the adrenaline was wearing off and a wave of fatigue clung onto him; only the sense of euphoria was pushing him on.<p>

Zero stepped into the private room where he had a grey hospital wheelchair waiting for his sister. The room itself was a simply cargo room; there was no decor. The four walls were grey and the only pieces of furniture in there were a bed, a sink, a toilet (with a bar on the wall to its right to help Nunnally a bit when she needed to use it), a table, and a chair. There was a porthole on the wall, but it was too small to fit a head, let alone for Nunnally to escape.

He gently placed Nunnally onto the wheelchair tiredly and then walked over to the lonely chair by the small table, picked it up, and placed it underneath the door handle of the door in order to bar it. He refused to allow anyone in. Zero then sat down onto the bed, the thin mattress bouncing slightly before it settled. He eyed the princess carefully; she was unable to pursue many options due to her disability, but he never knew what could happen. He didn't bother tying her up or binding her; she was helpless in this situation and there would be no point.

"S-So what are you going to do with me...?" Nunnally whimpered hoarsely. She was slightly traumatized by what had occurred and her body hurt from the method Zero chose to carry her. Tear streaks remained on her face and the rocking boat did nothing to help her motion sickness. She flinched when she felt a gloved hand rub her back. It was soothing, but considering that the only other person in this room was Zero, this just frightened her even more. Perhaps she would be tortured into revealing information she didn't possess before she was brutally killed and discarded. Maybe today was the day fate had chosen for her to be reunited with Clovis and Euphy. The prospect was terrifying and she tried her best to remain calm.

"Lelouch..." she murmured under her breath. "P-Please help..."

Zero snuck behind her and had been leaning in and listening. At the sound of his name, he raised an eyebrow. "...I'm not going to do anything to you." Zero whispered into her ear, the voice changer in his mask making the sound rather raspy. He wanted to do everything in his power to try and calm the princess down despite the circumstances. The terrorist leader relaxed and tried to make the atmosphere as calm as possible, almost as though he believed his aura was capable of forming such a scenario. "Except one thing..."

He stopped rubbing her back after realizing that it wasn't going to do anything to help, moved to the front of the wheelchair, and knelt before the princess. "Please Nunnally, I pray that you stay calm." He removed his gloves and threw them onto the bed. The black leather gloves performed a messy flip in the air before falling limp on the mattress. After this, he gradually placed one of the princess's palms into his own.

"Th-this hand—!" Nunnally was exceptionally frightened, but she didn't jerk away. She was familiar with the touch; it felt so foreign but at the same time so familiar. Fresh tears poured from her face; possibly caused by the saltiness of the ocean air coming in from the (now open) broken porthole on the wall or the overwhelming feelings that came over her like a hormonal teenager.

Seeing the tears fall off of Nunnally's face created a sad smile underneath Zero's mask. He had already been aware of his sister's uncanny sense of touch; she was capable of knowing certain pieces of information by the feel of a person's hands. Nunnally was able to tell if a person was lying, what emotions they were experiencing, and even the identity just by feeling the miniscule details of their palm. He guessed that this was because she _sensed_ the tiny differences in heat which was how items such as lie detectors worked. As for identities, she would hone in on the unique patterns of each hand.

After feeling the details of the hand carefully, she winced when her suspicions had been, in a sense, confirmed, though she still couldn't believe them. As for the man behind the mask, he hadn't intended to reveal his identity so quickly, but considering the trauma his sister had faced after this kidnapping ploy, this was necessary. Once he realized that particular pieces had clicked in his sister's mind and she had an idea of who he was, Zero was surprised to find that one of Nunnally's hands was up in the air and coming down at his face. In the anger caused by her indecisiveness, she instinctively slapped the mask off of Zero's face.

Lelouch hissed in pain.

Nunnally's hand was throbbing now; the impact was hard and it hurt to hit the steel plating of Zero's mask. However, she still found joy in the accomplishment of knocking the mask off in one blow. Her fingers felt around the man's face, but then noticed another obstruction; the cloth. She insisted on pulling the veil that covered Zero's face and calmly examined the details of the terrorist leader's face. Her hands shivered with anticipation as her fingers probed the angle of his nose, the sharpness of his jaw, and the softness of the skin. Zero didn't move as she did this; he gave in to her intentions. She smiled sadly as her fears drifted away.

"Nunnally." Lelouch said softly, finally using his real voice. He smiled lightly, allowing for his little sister to feel his frown relax and take a more enlightened form.

"Is it really you... Lelouch?"

"...Open your eyes."

"B-but..."

"Just trust me."

The reason Nunnally kept her eyes closed wasn't just because she was blind; she had also lost the capability to open her eyelids. In order to open her eyes to just mere slits, she had to force them up for the first time in eight years using her hands. It was difficult; there was something in her mind forcing them closed, but she did her best for the man kneeling in front of her.

Zero took this opportunity to do the one thing he had wished to do ever since that day in the Shinjuku ghetto. He tightened his fists as he twisted around to look behind him, making sure that no one else was around to see. The door was firmly shut and still barred by the chair he had placed from a few moments ago. Taking in a deep breath, he looked straight into the dulled, grey, dead, unseeing eyes of his sister and said, "Lelouch vi Britannia commands you, see once more the world around you! Rid yourself of your blindness and gaze upon that which you have been unable to view!"

His left eye flared as his Geass literally soared into the eyes of his sister. Nunnally's brother watched in awe and amazement as colour returned to her eyes. The grey irises gradually became a deep indigo. Her eyelids began to function properly and, for the first time in eight years, she began to blink.

Nunnally gasped as light poured into her vision, a locked door leading to an unused portion of her brain opened, thus allowing her to see once again. The light was brilliant and for a while, she could only see a wall of white light. However, after a few gasps of exhilaration, the blurred sight of Zero's true face cleared up and the once blind princess could finally see the bright face of her beloved brother. He was in a blue and gold suit and a cravat hung lazily around his neck. His brilliantly sparkling amethyst eyes gazed lovingly into hers as a smile that she hadn't seen in eight years graced his smooth porcelain face.

"L-Lelouch—!" she whispered gratefully. "I... I can..."

"You need to trust me, Nunnally." Lelouch stated calmly, though underneath was a layer of rejoice that he could hardly contain. "Please, that's all I ask of you. Please trust me." And with those words, he picked up the mask of Zero that had been discarded on the ground, reset the plates from the impact, and then placed it onto his head with a resounding hiss. With the voice of Zero, he looked back to Nunnally. "Don't worry. Just stay here and I promise I will be right back. And then I'll explain everything."

He placed the chair to the side and stepped out of the door.

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><p>AN: I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. ^^ Please comment and review and such; criticism is very much appreciated as well. Any suggestions to the continuation of the plot or perhaps volunteers for beta-readers are welcome as well. As most of you understand, reviews provide motivation to update, which is always wanted. At most, the wait will be approximately two weeks.

I'll see you all next chapter! =D


	2. Impulse

A/N: And of course, the surprisingly overwhelming response pushes me onward to continue this story. What I love about this fandom is that the fans here are hardly flamers, but are simply interested to see what the product of different people's imaginations is. I won't be too surprised if this idea has already been taken or if it will be taken in the future; the curiosity is still there and I intend to pursue it at full force. Thank you for your kind words, story alert, and favourites. In fact, I am grateful that you at least took the time to read through the first chapter~

But thirteen reviews and about fifty story alerts on the first chapter...? I'm not sure about you, but to me, that's pretty impressive! I was going to put this up next week, but such a mind-blowing response has pushed this forward quickly.

And so as a result, this new chapter comes sooner!  
>Read and enjoy!<p>

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><p>There was a tremendous catalyst in Zero's personality as he stepped out of the door leading into Nunnally's room and headed down the ship.<p>

Lelouch's smile was so bright that it could almost be seen through the malicious mask of the terrorist. It only took a few minutes to get from the room he planned on keeping the Viceroy to his own and in that time, he managed to light up the mood of many of those whom he had passed by.

The other Black Knights wondered why Zero had gone through quite the change. His steps were larger and much more jubilant and his stride, though already commanding, seemed to demand even more attention than usual. It was a sight to see him cloak-less even then and a few recruits even joked about having to go on another mission to retrieve the "lucky" item from the ocean and burning wreckage (though they had to keep their voices down to prevent Zero from taking them literally). Even though the masked leader said nothing throughout the short walk, they knew that they would soon be hearing a moving speech from him.

Zero still had that big smile on his face when he walked into his own private room aboard the cargo ship containing much of their crew and a submarine. The room itself was the largest space aside from the storage units for any weaponry, the deck, and the command room. Its dimensions were nothing special and resembled a small classroom; in place of the desks were scattered wooden crates and boxes. A few were labelled "Britannia" in bold red paint for they used to contain several sakuradite supplies and energy fillers which were headed to the homeland had it not been for a successful Black Knights raid on this very ship. Now these crates were used as tools for sitting, its contents off to provide for the greater good.

There was also a small closet which held Lelouch's neatly folded Ashford Academy uniform, a few spare clothes for C2, and an extra Zero cloak in case something happened to the original. The closet was the only piece of real furniture in this room; the only form of luxury Zero possessed over the other Black Knights. It sat in the middle of the wall to the side and stuck out like a sore thumb against the crates and the otherwise empty space in the room. The only thing that trumped the closet's individuality was the green-haired girl with a white Pizza Hut box filled with pizza on her lap. A few crumbs were around her feet and a smudge of red tomato sauce remained on her pale cheek.

"C2, it's good to see you here!" Zero exclaimed happily as he walked over to the closet which held his spare cape. He whipped it over his shoulders and clipped the pin firmly in order to secure it. It was a strange sensation to lose the weight of the cloak, but it felt almost like returning home after a long time once he placed it back on. He turned to face the green-haired, immortal witch with a dramatic whirl of his cape and saw that she was only lounging on one of the brown make-shift box-chairs while eating pizza. She had a look of curiosity on her face as she watched Zero remove his mask and roll down the black veil, revealing the face of Lelouch Lamperouge. He placed the purple contact over the Geass insignia once more to complete the set of dark purple orbs.

"I knew you would be happy to be reunited with your sister." C2 pointed out after she finished chewing on the soft cheese-filled crust of her second slice of pizza. She took a sip of the Coke bottle that sat on the ground just by her feet. "But it's like you're a completely different person now. When you walked in here, I almost thought that you were an imposter." She picked up a third slice from the cardboard box, but reluctantly set it aside and looked to the wall beside her. There was nothing on the flat wall, but she gazed at the blank, grey surface as though there were a mirror there. "Are you sure it was alright to grant your sister her sight and to be aware of your alter ego?"

"Of course it was right." Lelouch responded without hesitation. "At first, I was against the idea, but after today, I realized that the war we, the Black Knights, are fighting is not just for Nunnally's sake but for that of the whole world. From the start, I could never find it in my heart of use Geass on the one person that made up my reason for living, but when I..." He sighed outwardly. "It's a rather difficult feeling to describe in words, but I couldn't bear to see her so... oblivious to the truth anymore. She has grown up without me and has chosen her own path; it isn't wrong for me to give her back her sight. However, revealing my identity was impulsive and I may have to think on the consequences a bit more."

C2 watched as Lelouch placed the mask on a rack in the closet and closed the closet's door. He slumped onto another empty crate and pulled out a cell phone. He quickly dialled a number, but then closed it immediately as though he was pressing the numbers for fun and ended it as soon as he could to make sure the call didn't patch through. She raised an eyebrow quizzically. "So what's next for the Black Knights? Many of the soldiers here would be happy to kill an enemy princess as they assume Zero did to Clovis and Euphemia. Are you to keep Nunnally captive? I doubt that she will remain content with such circumstances, whether you are her beloved brother or not."

"The entire purpose of the formation of the Black Knights was for Nunnally's sake; I'm sure you can recall that." The raven-haired prince arrogantly flipped his hair with his hand and gazed at the ceiling dreamingly. "But that was a year ago. Now our purpose is to defeat Britannia and liberate the world. The purpose of retrieving Nunnally was so she will remain under the protection of the Black Knights as we tackle Britannia for that purpose, but once the public is aware of her status, I may have to use her as..." Zero flinched when he realized where his train of thought was leading.

There is no way he was going to use his sister as a pawn in his plan.  
>To have Nunnally be used as a political tool was what he was trying to avoid.<br>No matter what the cost, he was never going to allow this.

"And so you have weaved another tangle of conspiracy caused by the bond you hold for your sister." C2 sighed, a bit annoyed at how Lelouch was constantly trying to connect retrieving his sister to the purpose of the Black Knights almost as though he was still trying to grasp at an answer himself. "This is what you get for hastily setting up a mission to kidnap her in the first place; what was this supposed to accomplish? You cannot just keep her in your clutches like a caged bird; that would be inhumane."

She said that last word as though she were hinting at her own personal situation. Lelouch had kept her hidden from view so far despite her major part in the Order of the Black Knights. It had been three days since she had been out of this ship in general. It wasn't as though she enjoyed being caged in a giant metal ship, especially after she was so used to centuries of wandering around from place to place after leaving her own home country of France all those years ago.

Any remnants of Lelouch's happiness had dispersed and all that remained was a cold and calculating machine sitting upon a crate in a pose that signified thinking. His fist was to his chin as he looked to the ground, keeping his attention away from the pizza-addicted girl whose only purpose at the moment was to distract him. Wrinkles formed on his brow as he forced himself to search for an answer. "She did mention something about trying to reform the SAZ..." he muttered thoughtfully. "But no Japanese in their right mind would think of joining the Special Zone after Princess Massacre Euphemia came around."

For a moment, Lelouch paused, thoughts of his mistake overwhelming him for a moment before he managed to subdue them before shoving the memories back in the recesses of his subconscious mind. "How I can implement her into my plans, I..." He forced himself up and face-palmed himself with a dramatic flourish, his palm covering the ugly expression that formed. "Ugh, you're right, witch! This was all impulsive!" he growled. "Nevertheless, Nunnally will not remain in the clutches of the Emperor; anything but that! I'll contact Sayoko for her assistance once more in the matter, but for now..."

C2 smirked lightly as her accomplice paced back and forth around, his head simmering with anger. This is the first time she had seen him in a self-inflicted bind. It was quite the sight to see as he pondered with such a deep thought process; she had known him for a while now, but even she still didn't fully comprehend the mechanics of his mind. It's no wonder he made such a great strategist; if only the Japanese knew how lucky they had struck with this one particular teenager. If he had remained in the homeland as Lelouch vi Britannia, the Areas under Britannia's domain would have no chance of toppling over the Empire while he was alive. But Lelouch as the terrorist Zero fighting for the liberation of the Areas; Britannia was the one who lacked an opportunity to win.

"You know Lelouch, what if this time around; you let Fate decide what your next brilliant plan will be?" The green-haired immortal suggested while twirling her arm in the air. The large sleeve of her straitjacket attire flopped pointlessly and provided a form of flair in the action. After finally picking up that third slice of pizza and chewing on a bite, she looked to Lelouch who had remained quiet, even after she mentioned her idea. "What are you thinking now, boy?" she moaned, her voice slightly muffled by the pizza she was chewing in her mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Lelouch quipped, not caring for what C2 had to say on the matter. A plan had finally formed in his mind that would lead to both the benefit of the Black Knights and Nunnally. "Yes... this plan is perfect." The smile that had formed after the reunion took its rightful place at the altar upon the Black Knights' leader's face, but it had become twisted and formed the sad irony of gloomy happiness instead. "First I will need to address those here; I'll set the plan in motion as soon as Sayoko arrives from the Chinese Federation." Lelouch stood up from his sitting position and retrieved the mask that he had placed in the closet mere moments ago. He donned it upon his face once more to form the complete outfit of Zero. "C2, you are to remain here until further notice."

Zero then walked toward the door before C2 could inquire, "What are you going to do now, Lelouch?" She finished the slice in her hand contently and made sure to swallow the food before speaking in order to avoid another warning from her raven-haired accomplice about rudely speaking with her mouth full. "Are you going to celebrate like the rumours claim?" She grinned at the thought of a celebration. There would be cheering terrorist, a drunken Tamaki to poke fun at, and plenty of pizza; courtesy of Pizza Hut, of course.

"I plan to commemorate the victory of capturing the Viceroy first." Lelouch explained just as his un-gloved hand wrapped itself around the stainless steel doorknob. For a split second, he questioned in his mind where he left his gloves, but he then remembered that he had left them on the bed back in Nunnally's room. "Then Nunnally and I will return to Area 11, specifically Ashford Academy, and await Sayoko's arrival from the Chinese Federation there. Perhaps Li Xinke, that Chinese Federation man you speak of as an ally, can assist with this matter. He still owes us after all." The masked terrorist turned around to face C2 definitely and placed a hand on his hip. "There are already rumours of a celebration?" Lelouch chuckled. "Hmm... I suppose Nunnally can use some cheering up as well. That's not a bad idea, witch."

With those words, Zero turned and strode out the door back towards Nunnally's room in order to retrieve his gloves and his sister. C2 sighed contently and leaned back on a stack of crates behind her that she was using as a back rest. She looked up at the ceiling as though there were someone watching over her there and murmured under her breath, "You have rather interesting children... Marianne."

* * *

><p>Zero walked towards Nunnally's room, making sure to keep his bare hands hidden beneath the cover of his cloak along the way to avoid giving away any clues on his identity. He placed a hand on the door handle and turned it in order to open the bland metal door which had been kept unlocked; he knew that Nunnally would have lost the will to escape as soon as she discovered his identity as Lelouch and no Black Knight would have entered a room Zero specifically said was off limits.<p>

Lelouch was glad to see that she had her eyes open and was currently taking in everything around her. The fact that she could see had kept her occupied from the mental torment that the princess would have suffered otherwise. She was looking at everything as though it were alien; vision was a new sensation to her. She looked down at the wheels of her old and rusted hospital wheelchair, thought of a word to describe it, and touched it as though she had never felt rust before.

"How goes it, Nunnally?" Zero asked calmly. He turned to the door once again and closed it softly before barring the door with the chair by the wall once again. He didn't want anyone walking in as they talked; Zero wanted to keep his personal conversations with the Britannian princess private and confidential.

Nunnally winced at the sound of the artificial voice. She never noticed the black-cloaked man enter the room after being so absorbed by the sensation of sight; this new feeling drowned out her other senses. Zero's presence reminded her of what happened a few hours ago on the _Logres_-class airship. She had been kidnapped by the Black Knights; specifically by their fearsome leader, the masked terrorist, Zero. But then, the princess learned of the truth behind the mask of Zero; the face underneath was her beloved brother Lelouch.

"Is it still you... brother?" Nunnally asked hesitantly. For all she knew, a switch may have taken place in the moments he had departed from this room to go elsewhere on this ship. She had been too occupied with the idea of finally being able to see to completely ascertain her situation, though she knew that her mind had blocked the conundrum of the truth out on purpose; it was simply too complicated for her to completely grasp and it would take time for her to absorb the facts.

"Yes, it's me, Your Highness." The sound of the man's voice shifted throughout that sentence as Zero removed his mask and veil in order to reveal Lelouch's face once again, the bright smile still gracing his features. "I just came back because I needed to get my gloves." His eyes glanced over to the discarded leather gloves that were still on the bed to confirm his suspicions on their location. "And I need you to come with me."

Nunnally remained silent as she watched Lelouch walk slowly past her and slipped the gloves onto his pale hands. She was used to the touch of her big brother's hands; after all, it was those particular of his hands that helped her realize the identity of the enigmatic Zero. But, using her eyes, she noticed that his hands looked a lot stronger than she had realized. Nunnally was aware that he played piano and that may have been the cause of it, but perhaps he had developed more muscles from holding and firing firearms as an enemy of her country...

"Lelouch..." she whimpered softly, her eyes on the verge of tears. Just saying his name and knowing that it was associated with Zero's tyranny brought up several different thoughts, each an unanswered question relating to the Black Knights and their actions. One in particular stuck up like a sore thumb and was the prick in her side that caused the tears to cascade off her innocently young face. "This means you killed them, didn't you... Clovis and E-Euphy..." She took in a breath before saying, "I just touched the hands of a murderer..." sniffled mournfully, appalled at the revelation. Her brother tensed and froze on the spot, his left hand halfway in the black leather glove he had been putting on at the time while his eyes watched his sister carefully. "B-But why...?"

"Nunna..." Lelouch hissed, dragging out the 'a' sound until it became a part of his meagre breath. His hair covered part of his face. He looked down at Nunnally who gazed back at him in tears. She stared into the amethyst orbs that graced his face once before, but now were dimmed and glazed over. The shine that they had once possessed diminished and only left an empty shell of longing and distrust. His face was contorted; it formed a despicable scowl that she had never seen before. Being Zero has twisted him; he was no longer the Lelouch she had thought she was so familiar with. In fact, though he wore his face, this wasn't Lelouch anymore. The entire room seemed to darken with this revelation.

"...Will you kill me too, Zero?" she asked hesitantly, her voice shaky but forceful.

Lelouch flinched more noticeably as an audible noise of surprise escaped his lips. All remains of Zero dispersed as his form melted back into a more human one; that of Nunnally's older brother. His eyes returned to the loving, light-hearted state Nunnally remembered as his lip quivered with sorrow. Killing _Nunnally_... that was something he vowed never to do no matter what the circumstances were. He was Zero and Zero's purpose was to save Nunnally's future. If he killed her— just thinking about it from a hypothetical stance caused him to shed tears.

"Don't ever say that!" Lelouch exclaimed furiously as he whipped around and punched the metal wall to his side, hardly feeling any pain while doing so. It made a loud pang and left a visible dent after he dropped his fist to his side. His entire figure shook and clumps of tears fell to the ground. One landed on Nunnally's arm and the princess winced. Lelouch was just as confused about the situation as she was. The truth was a daunting character that inflicted pain on the two siblings alike. She had forgotten that Lelouch's love for her was real and Zero was the lie; shock jumbled her thoughts. "D-Don't _ever_ even think that, Nunna..." the raven-haired teen whispered weakly. "I promise, because I... I'm your brother."

He threw himself onto the bed in defeat before rolling onto his side while tiredly facing his sister. His hand was throbbing, but it only left him feeling numb. Nunnally rolled over to the side of the bed and placed her arms over him in an attempt at an awkward half-hug. Lelouch moved in closer and wrapped his skinny arms around her waist. Nunnally stroked his hair, which was odd for her considering the peculiar reverse role situation that they were both in, but did so nonetheless. Lelouch quivered slightly, but gradually calmed down under her touch.

"You promised me that you would explain everything when you returned." Nunnally reminded him after a while. Lelouch finally calmed down and sat up on the bed, swinging his legs over the side and straightening Nunnally's wheelchair so she could sit side by side with him. Lelouch remained quiet as his sister continued. "I know it will take a while to do so all at once and we don't have the luxury of time, so at least tell me this; why did you k-kill them...? _Did_ you kill them?"

"I did."

He remained silent afterwards, allowing the two words to hang in the air as he recuperated his mindset and steeled himself up. Lelouch placed the mask over his head once more and stood up in order to straighten his new cape and pull down his gloves with a dramatic flair that acted as Zero's trademark. Without another word from the two siblings, Zero got behind the princess's wheelchair and moved it beside the door. He placed the chair to the side once again to unbar the door before turning his attention to his little sister once again.

Taking on the persona of Zero once again, he began, "Out there, the Black Knights are going to be resentful and merciless. You are the new Viceroy of Area 11 after all; you are a princess of the enemy nation. They have every right to be mad at you for simply being you, no matter your physical disabilities. I want you to stay with me and be brave, do not speak out of turn, and do not be afraid on any of them. You must retain your confidence as a princess of Britannia." Zero placed a gloved hand over Nunnally's eyelids and forced them down while ignoring her protest. "You must keep your eyes closed; we do not want the world to know of the miracle Zero has performed on you just yet."

Nunnally was still shaken up by Lelouch acknowledging the truth about being the murderer of her half-siblings and then shrugged it off as though it were nothing. The cold demeanour Zero possessed was nothing like what she saw with her brother back then; it was difficult to believe that the two are one and the same. Listening intently to the instructions the masked terrorist gave her and remembering a particular _miracle_ he referred to, she gasped, "Just how did you do that anyway?"

"Do not speak out of turn." Zero simply stated.

Nunnally turned behind her as though to look up at his faceless mask, but kept her eyes closed. This was a test of her willpower; she would not fail. Her brother always kept his promises to her. Technically, he had never lied to her yet, or rather she was unaware of any lies he had directly told her about, and so even that promise was still intact. She could never find it within herself to trust her beloved Euphy's murderer, but Nunnally had to place her fate in the hands of the older brother she had always loved and respected. If he truly was doing this for the sake of Japan like she had heard so many times, she promised herself that she would at least see his goal through. The princess owed him that much for returning the gift of sight to her and remaining by her side all this time.

Seeing that his sister was ready, Zero opened the door and walked the princess out. His steps weren't as jubilant as they were the previous time he had walked down this hall; even with the mask, the Black Knights could feel the strict, determined look beneath it and murmured something about the rumours of the celebratory speech and party were _wrong_ amongst themselves.

Many of those who passed Zero and his prisoner then moved to look at the brown-haired girl in the wheelchair with contemptuous glares. She was a princess from Britannia, still in her regal clothing which was still untouched aside from a few wrinkles. Many were surprised; most of the soldiers had assumed that the reason Zero had stayed in that makeshift prison cell with Nunnally for so long was not just because he was trying to force his ideals or interrogate her but rather because he was also apparently brutally beating her up and eventually killing her in cold blood. A few even heard the loud pang against metal a while back, which only added to such rumours. The fact that she was unscathed alone was shocking.

In the end, they all allowed the two to pass in an ominous silence; if they spoke anything against Zero or his actions, they would fall in risk of many other things they had heard of through copious rumours and innuendo that ran amuck in the Order. Rather remain quiet then become victim to the terrorist leader's wrath. Nunnally too.

* * *

><p>Zero and Nunnally made it to the front of the ship where three officers possessing the some of the highest ranks in the Order were located. Kallen Kouzuki, Zero's ace, leader of the Zero Squad, and pilot of the <em>Guren<em> _Flight-Enabled_ Version was lounging casually on chair with her feet up on the table examining her nails closely. That very same Knightmare pilot had defeated the _Lancelot_ _Conquista_ and ensured their escape using her _Radiant_ _Wave_ _Surger_. Kyoshiro Todoh was talking softly with Kaname Ohgi, discussing a matter that required not much attention.

The room consisted of a large window which viewed out to the open ocean. A single person was currently at the cockpit overhead, managing the instruments and making sure that the entire ship was headed in the correct direction.

All three stopped what they were doing and drew their attention to the masked terrorist as Zero stepped in, greeted them casually, and took a seat in one of the chairs by the front of the room. Ever since Zero's resurrection, even those of highest rank within the Order had their doubts that this was the same Zero as before. After all, the previous Zero had abandoned them at the Battle for Tokyo last year; whether this was the same person or not, even Todoh and Ohgi were afraid of being left alone in their most dire need. Zero provided no reason as to why he had left them back at the Tokyo Settlement a year ago, but continued to lead them; the Black Knights had to be content with that alone.

He rolled Nunnally gently beside him, which was completely out of his character, but still an action he chose to take. Perhaps he was bringing her around with him as if to show off his new prize to everyone. His plan had worked, after all. Despite the distinct lack of air mobility in their Knightmares, they still used the land-based units to tackle the _Logres_-class airship and capture the new Viceroy of Area 11. That deserved a bit of respect from everyone. They remained silent as Zero placed a leg over another and placed his hands on his lap as though there was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Nunnally, is that you?" Kallen finally asked, albeit reluctantly, slightly afraid that the Britannian princess may have changed over the year she spent back in the homeland before coming here. She took her feet off the table and leaned in closer to take a good look at the princess. Everyone watched as her face turned into a sad smile as their reunion took place. "Nunnally, it's me, Kallen, from the Student Council at Ashford."

"Kallen...?" Nunnally repeated, recognising the name and the voice. She turned her head to the sound of her voice, almost accidentally opening her eyes at the same time. For some reason, her eyelids had become more loose and eager to stay open unlike before where they seemed to be permanently glued shut and accidentally opening them wasn't a problem. "Kallen, it's good to see you again, though..." She stopped herself and gave it a bit of thought. "...You really are a Black Knight, aren't you? Just like..." Nunnally was about to turn to Zero, but then forced her head down. She was sure that Lelouch wouldn't appreciate it if she gave away his identity so quickly.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so, Nunna." Kallen got up and stroked her long chestnut hair. Zero watched her intently and Kallen turned to the face the mask as though they were now staring eye-to-eye. He made a small noise of approval before she continued what she was doing. "It's good to see you're alright too." Kallen placed a finger on her chin and looked up in thought. "I'm sure your onii-sama would be so happy to see you well. As soon as news is released about your kidnapping, I'm positive that wherever he is, he will only want the best for you. And because I'm a friend of your onii-sama, I vow to never hurt you or allow anyone else to." Kallen gave the princess a sentimental smile and Nunnally allowed the tips of her mouth to perk up slightly before dropping them.

"_He'll... only want the best...?"_ The Britannian princess repeated in her mind. _"Does Kallen not know who Zero really is...? But even so, she says that Lelouch would only want... then why? Why is he doing this?"_ She shook the concerns out of her mind; she remembered that, for Lelouch, she needed to remain calm and show the confidence that was trademark of Britannia.

"Thank you, Kallen." the princess whispered softly, a single tear trickling down her face. "Your words mean a lot to me." She reached behind her and grabbed Kallen's hand. Todoh and Ohgi tensed as though expecting the crippled girl to make a move on the Black Knights' ace but Zero turned to them and flashed a motion that told them to stand down. Their shoulders relaxed, but their eyes remained wary in case the princess decided to pull off anything cunning and could compromise the situation.

Ignoring the other two, Kallen walked in front of her and relaxed her hands as Nunnally examined them closely. Kallen's hands weren't as soft and innocent as they look; they were strong and powerful after years behind a Knightmare and other forms of artillery. But Nunnally could tell that even through the war and strife, the red-headed girl was still a kind and gentle person who was required to fight for what she believed in. "Please Kallen." Nunnally continued as she squeezed her Japanese friend's hands tightly as a sign of reassurance before releasing them. "Don't forget about those days at Ashford. If Zero allows me, I wish to talk more about those days with you."

Kallen's mood became brighter with that request. "You got it, Nunnally." she smirked. She then sat back down on her respective chair with a cheerier mood. It's been a while since she had a chance to reminisce on her days at Ashford; even if she had to pretend to be a sickly girl whenever she was there, those days were probably ones that she will never regret. Lelouch's sister knew how to bring a smile to the faces of everyone she came across, and if the red-headed teen weren't fighting on the resistance, Kallen was most likely to agree that Nunnally would have made a kind and gentle Viceroy; perhaps one that will not ruin the remnants of peace left in Area 11 but instead allow those pieces to flourish and spread. Nunnally had the capability to touch the hearts of all those she met; she carried around the same form of charisma her older brother had, though Lelouch used this talent for more extreme measures.

"Zero-sama, is it really alright to keep the girl free like that?" Ohgi asked hesitantly, still questioning the Viceroy's privilege to freedom. He even used Japanese to ask the question in order for Nunnally to not understand what they were discussing. "I mean, given the opportunity, she may be able to escape and potentially harm a few of our soldiers while doing so. And for her to remain unharmed..."

Because Ohgi insisted on using Japanese, Zero responded in the same dialect. Besides, it was his capability of speaking both English and Japanese so vehemently that motivated the crew. Even if the rumours of his non-Asian background were true, Zero truly was dedicated to win as was shown with him taking the time to learn the language of the people he was trying to save. "Ohgi, she is only a girl." he lamented. "And even then Nature has already bound her permanently." Ohgi looked back at Nunnally and a look of pity swept across his face when he realized that Zero was referring to her disabilities. Suddenly the idea of chaining her up even more seemed that much more inhumane. "There is no reason to add more discomfort to Nunnally-hime." Zero finished.

Ohgi was going to inquire more on Zero's reasoning, but he stood down with an impressed look on his face; quite the opposite of the defeated feel most people receive when losing an argument. Even to his prisoners, Zero acts like a gentleman. For an enigmatic terrorist leader, this proclamation showed a bit of his true nature beneath the costume. The way he insisted on referring to Nunnally so majestically, almost as though the girl was something completely unrelated to the despicable nation they were trying to topple, was questioning too, but mysteries were what Zero was full of and Ohgi had learned to become used to these.

The other two remained quiet; Zero was completely right.

"Are you finished, Ohgi?" Zero asked. Ohgi nodded stiffly before Zero went on. "Because of the princess's disabilities, she will most likely remain with me 24/7 until I find a suitable caretaker that I can trust. No one is to come near her, no one is to touch her, and no one is to harm her. Before you ask why I am providing a Britannian princess the luxury of my company and freedom, it is not because I pity her, but rather because she is just an innocent girl that never should have become tangled up in our violent fray. Many of the Black Knights' tempers are wild and, given the opportunity, wish to try and live up to the deaths I had inflicted on two of their other royals, namely Clovis and Euphemia."

Instinctively, Zero placed a gloved hand on Nunnally's to reassure her that he did not mean to disgrace their names so bluntly, but then his fingers shot up to her chin and he slipped his fingers around the base of the neck up to her cheeks before flicking his digits up in the air. Underneath the mask, Zero smiled maliciously before turning his attention to Ohgi once more. "I will readdress this matter during the celebration at the Tokyo settlement."

"A celebration?" Todoh questioned critically. He knew Zero wasn't the type of man to simply call about a party after every victory; in fact, the masked leader seemed to prefer solitude and gloom against the apparent glamour and joy that comes about during a party. Also, Todoh himself wasn't the exactly the partying type; festivals were events that only served to cast doubt upon his reputation.

"Yes, that is correct." Zero replied. "A celebration for the capture of Princess Nunnally vi Britannia; Viceroy of Area 11 and eventual enemy to Japan; I'm sure even Tamaki will be satisfied with these plans." The black-cloaked man chuckled beneath his mask. "It will take place in the Tokyo settlement. I will arrange the date and location. For now, I will ask that you three spread the news through the ranks." Not waiting for any more commentary, Zero stood up and got behind Nunnally's wheelchair.

Just before he was about to cart her off, Kallen stood up and placed her hand onto the handle of Nunnally's old and rusty hospital wheelchair. "Please Zero, may you entrust the princess in my care for a bit?" Kallen asked. "You see... I-I..." She paused a bit, letting go of the wheelchair as though it had suddenly caught fire. "B-But of course, that's your decision—"

"—No, Kallen. I can trust you." Zero let go of the handles and turned it gently as though giving Nunnally herself to Kallen. The chestnut haired cripple smiled gratefully and Kallen's eyes lit up with joy. "I have other important matters to deal with concerning Sayoko, Deithard, and the terms between us and the Chinese Federation. I am grateful." He turned, his cape following right behind him. "I'll be checking up on the both of you on a regular basis; I better not see the two of you under dire circumstances. I do not wish to lose my trust in one who is so competent."

"Th-thank you, Zero!"

"Hmm?" The masked terrorist looked over his shoulder, surprised that Nunnally had spoken up instead of Kallen. She was smiling so brightly even if she was in the hands of the Black Knights and was in danger of being killed at any moment. A touch of the past was probably something she needed before her mind could even begin to comprehend what she had just learned after being kidnapped. Even he had to admit that all this was overwhelming; her sister was taking this slowly but surely. She wasn't going through any breakdowns nor showing any signs of panic; she was managing herself.

Nunnally truly was his sister.

"Very well." Zero nodded to her even though Nunnally couldn't see it. He then turned to Ohgi and Todoh, telling them to come with him and leave the two girls alone. The two quickly followed him out of the door. Kallen and Nunnally remained in the room as a wave crashed onto the side of the ship. Only then could they show their true feelings on the scenario.

"Are you okay, Nunna...?" Kallen whispered gently. She leaned in closer and held onto the princess's arms, smoothing out the wrinkles in her silk sleeves before clasping Nunnally's hands with her own. "You were brave just there. I'm sure your onii-sama would have been as impressed as I am..."

"Kallen, do you know where my brother, Lelouch, is?"

Kallen pulled back slightly before sighing outwardly, looking at Nunnally's strict expression, knowing that she wanted a straight answer. Nunnally finally was showing her true feelings instead of the mask of calmness she donned throughout the meeting. Kallen had been expecting this question from the young princess if Zero allowed them to talk one-on-one. After all, the red-headed _Guren_ pilot was aware of the powerful bond the two siblings shared from back in Ashford before Lelouch lost his memories. Nunnally probably longed to be in Lelouch's presence as Lelouch doted on Nunnally as his purpose in life.

Even so, she couldn't tell the princess that Lelouch was Zero; she could already see that traumatizing her. Nunnally had just been kidnapped by the terrorists trying to tackle down her homeland. Because she was a princess and was off the become Viceroy if the Black Knights hadn't stopped her from reaching the Tokyo settlement, there was potential that she would be assassinated as a result. Fear of death was most likely on Nunnally's mind.

Nunnally longed for Lelouch and desperately wanted to know where her beloved brother was but at the same time, she couldn't reveal that her brother was the terrorist that may kill her. Kallen clenched her fist and glanced back at Nunnally, surprised that she hadn't protested to the Japanese teen's silence yet. Only one word could escape her mouth.

"...Yes."

Nunnally nodded, acknowledging her answer. Kallen shut her eyes fiercely, completely discontent with her answer. The _Guren_ pilot waited and listened carefully to Nunnally's next question, half-hoping that they could finally get on the topic of Ashford and their wonderful past. However, this question had nothing to do with that or Lelouch's whereabouts. Kallen's mouth hung open in a gaping silence, her inability to answer the princess' question causing her to sweat in fear.

"If that's so, then tell me, Kallen." Nunnally looked up, still fighting the urge to open her eyes and see what Kallen really looks like. She was surprised that tears began once more; Nunnally was almost sure that she had run out. "Did you mean what you said there? That my brother only wanted what's best for me? If that's right, then why? Why did he kill Clovis and Euphy?

"—Why did he... why is he Zero?"

* * *

><p>AN: *chuckles* This chapter ended up being pretty long too. =) I'm content with most of it, though trying to depict the feelings going through Nunnally while keeping them IC was difficult. So I would like to say that I want to see a response of about the same magnitude as the previous chapter, but that's still too much to hope for right now; after all, I've hardly touched the tip of the iceberg.

At the same time, I still look forward to seeing your reactions and comments; if you wish to review, I guarantee that you will have made my day even if it is just to say "Great chapter! Update soon!" It serves a great motivation to update faster. Once again, comments, questions, critiques, ideas, and volunteers for BRs are welcome; flames are not.

Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing you all in the next chapter!


	3. Shattered Path

A/N: Oh man, you don't even understand how much I love all of you guys! All the emails I receive because of this fic make my day; every single one of them! Man, now I'm starting to think big; I might be able to reach my goal of 100 reviews. =O That'd be an amazing checkmark. I mean, I got 28 within the first two chapters (thanks so much to all those who have reviewed)... imagine what I can pull off once we get into the midst of things!

Dreams aside, I better get writing.  
>I pray that you read and enjoy!<p>

**NOTE**: I'm also looking for a beta-reader who can help me space out my work. Even I have to agree; these paragraphs are rather difficult to read. If any of you wish to volunteer your service, please leave a review here saying so. But for now, if it troubles you that much, try copy + paste -ing the chapter and use some other program to help you read. =) Thank you for your time.

* * *

><p>A large ship made its way into a private bay 100 kilometres away from the Tokyo settlement under the cloak of night. The bay itself had no real dock; unlike most bays, twenty-five feet of water surrounded the area instead of the water depth gradually becoming shallower until the water touched the shore. If one were to fall over the edge, they would be falling into a deep abyss of murky water.<p>

The area was unmarked and one of the rare places in Area 11 that remained untouched by technology and war; that was, until the Black Knights discovered it and used its traits to their advantage. This specific location had been used as a meeting place before, so a secret pier had already been built. There were no lights or landmarks that the Black Knights could use as means of guiding them properly, mainly to make sure that no one would accidentally stumble upon this place. That, including the darkness of the night, made the docking procedure rather difficult.

The _Guren_ _Flight_-_Enabled_ _Version_ along with a couple of the remaining Knightmares the Black Knights had in their possession were required to go ahead of the ship in order to help assist in guiding it into the bay; the _Guren_ remained in the lead due to its excelled manoeuvrability and helped mark the spots for the helicopters to drop off the flightless _Burais_. The war machines landed with a loud thud and almost shook the ground around them. The bush seemed to shuffle slightly as a few native species departed the area in fear of their lives, unknowing that the Black Knight's intention wasn't to cause harm to the ecosystem.

Every single fog light on board the large cargo ship was blazing directly ahead as the ship slowly made its way into the deep bay. Its mechanics rumbled loudly amidst the quiet haven of nature and woke up several creatures that had slept through the aforementioned landing of the Knightmares. The rolling waves its arrival caused disrupted the once placid and still surface of the water. A startled deer leapt past the _Guren_ as the red Knightmare took to the air once more and landed on the flat surface of the ship. The other two flightless _Burais_ couldn't help but remain in place as the helicopters that had dropped them off here an hour ago have already departed towards a secret base in the Tokyo Settlement.

The Knightmares had taken the liberty of removing any debris and obstructions that could potentially damage the ship as it came in, but the ship rolled in slowly and cautiously just in case. As soon as it made it to the side of the giant pier, a door opened on the side of the ship opened and revealed a large metal ramp as it made its way down and attached itself to the flat surface of the pier. At the top of the ramp stood Kallen Kouzuki, Zero, and Nunnally vi Britannia in her rusty hospital wheelchair along with a couple of other armed Black Knight soldiers that were to escort the masked revolutionary for protection as were his wishes. The Knightmares monitored the three with their weapons armed in case anyone came about with the intention of attacking their leader, their ace, and their hostage despite the lack of the possibility of anyone discovering this location in the first place. Even Zero considered the tight security rather overdone and pestilent, but was grateful for it; it provided him with an overwhelming sense of security he hardly had when on the battlefield.

Rolo Lamperouge in his black Ashford uniform suddenly sprinted out of the small warehouse where many provisions for the Black Knights were stored. By the time Rolo had finally reached the three of them, a few soldiers had already begun to empty the ship of damaged Knightmares they were able to recover from the kidnapping mission. Wrangled and serrated clumps of metal were carted down the ramp and to the small warehouse where Rakshata and her maintenance crew would fix them up to the best of their ability.

The younger Lamperouge who played Lelouch's false brother during the year Lelouch spent under Geass-inflicted amnesia smiled brightly at the masked terrorist. Rolo had heard that the Black Knights were returning to this spot from intelligence and, during the night, snuck away to greet them on his Vincent. "It's good to see you're back, nii-san." Rolo greeted enthusiastically in Japanese. The chestnut haired boy didn't know much of Japanese language himself, but had taken the liberty of learning that one phrase along with a few others in order to surprise the brother he adored so much.

Zero nodded silently, hardly noticing the language Rolo had spoken in, before turning his attention to Kallen; Rolo was not even the least bit offended. "Kallen, I need you to stay with C2 and the others on the ship." Zero commanded. "Your presence would serve a higher purpose helping out here for a bit. It is not as though you can return to Ashford, regrettably." The revolutionary then turned to Rolo, gesturing with his head that they were to start walking and head back to the warehouse now. He put his gloved hands on the handles of Nunnally's wheelchair once more and was about to walk off with the two of them had it not been for Kallen suddenly grasping his shoulder.

"N-Now wait a minute!" she protested before failing to stifle a yawn. Her lack of sleep had made her receptiveness to Zero's words dull and only now did she realize what he meant by those words. "It's been the longest time since I've been to the Tokyo settlement; there's no way in hell I'm staying in this dump! I don't care what you say, I'm coming with you!" And with that, she defiantly stomped towards the small warehouse by the bush before looking over her shoulder stubbornly at Zero who gazed at her silently, his mask covering any emotion on his face. "Aren't you coming?" she quipped scornfully, her nose up high in the air.

Zero chuckled, bemused by Kallen's actions. He wasn't at all fazed by her response; in fact, he said those words as a means of triggering her anger. That night, the masked terrorist was tragically bored and needed to find some form of comedy wherever he could seek it, even if it meant at the expense of others. Otherwise, he would have fallen asleep on his feet; the fatigue was getting to him. "I figured you'd say that." he replied softly before raising his voice so the spectators who stopped what they were doing after seeing Kallen's outburst could hear as well. "Very well... you can come back with us to Ashford as well if that is what you wish." And without another word, he, along with his other two siblings, walked right past her without giving her a second glance.

Kallen stood still on her spot, completely stunned. The red-haired woman could only stare back at the black cloaked man as he instructed a couple soldiers to retrieve some items aboard the ship before continuing on his way towards the warehouse. She just wanted to return to the Tokyo settlement; when she protested, she had no intention of visiting Ashford Academy. In fact, it only crossed her mind now. All this time, she had thought that it would be impossible to return considering her relation to the Black Knights. But now her leader was giving her permission... just what was he playing at?

But then a smile erupted on her face and a tear began to form in her eyes. She swiped it off before running after Zero and others. _"I...I-I actually get to return to Ashford Academy, return to the Student Council, return to those days!" _she giggled gleefully to herself. She had never been so happy about going to back to school before. The _Guren_ pilot never considered how much she missed those blissful days and how much she envied Lelouch as she and C2 monitored his movements while he was under his Geass-inflicted amnesia. Kallen was now wide awake as she jubilantly ran up to Zero's side, thanking him, before sprinting off to get a change of clothes she had kept in the warehouse.

"Zero, is that...?" Rolo watched Kallen's movement carefully before turning his attention back on his elder brother. He was referring to the crippled girl in the wheelchair, her eyes closed and her head resting on her shoulders. A Black Knights jacket was cloaked over her dress to keep her warm as she rested. Today had been a long day and her brother had allowed her to sleep through the night while he ensured her safety in his hands. A chilly breeze swept through the bay and blew about both of Zero's younger siblings, their almost identically coloured hair shifting slightly. The younger boy shivered and envied the peace draped over Nunnally.

"You know her name, Rolo." Zero replied callously, his voice shifted through the voice alteration device. "And you know exactly who she is. It is not as though there has been a ban placed on you that states that you must refrain from uttering her name to me or anywhere else." A gloved hand gently brushed through the princess's silk-like hair; it is a good thing that while she was back at the homeland, she was treated well. "We have successfully captured Nunnally vi Britannia, the 11th princess of the Holy Britannian Empire and Viceroy of Area 11... That is, had it not been for the staged kidnapping that took place earlier today." Zero stared at him much deeply through the mask and leaned in as he murmured in a softer tone so no one could overhear, "We have successfully captured _our_ sister, Rolo."

Rolo's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at the revelation. "O-Our sister..." he whispered under his breath, completely taken aback. The entire time he had spent with Lelouch, he knew that the love the raven-haired boy had shown him was meant to be directed to the girl in the wheelchair beside him right now. Because of this, Rolo had always hated her in a sense; he hated her for being so lucky to be related to such a wonderful guy as his and her elder brother. But, aside from just now, because of the obscurity of the facts his "mission" had provided him, the assassin had never really thought of Nunnally as his sister in turn. The chestnut haired boy shuddered as he continued to walk on beside Zero who clearly was unaware of the complexity of the impact the masked terrorist's words have had on Rolo.

"My sister..."

* * *

><p>Zero, Rolo, and the sleeping Nunnally made their way into the warehouse and entered a private office at the other side of the warehouse. Kallen was in there and had already conveniently changed into more normal, casual clothing consisting of a pink blouse that showed off much of her cleavage and cut off just above her diaphragm, a blue cardigan, and black short shorts. In her hand was another bundle Lelouch had prepared earlier for Nunnally and himself; it was a white plastic bag filled with their old Ashford Academy uniforms.<p>

Zero closed the blinds and shut the door before taking off his mask and placing it onto a cluttered desk covered in several different schemes and blueprints; a typical architect-styled work area. "Kallen, Rolo, may you two please wait for us outside?" Lelouch requested as Kallen handed him the bag of clothes. "We'll meet up with you at the back as soon as we're finished here. Then we can head to the Tokyo settlement together." He began to strip down without much consideration of the other two who promptly exited with red faces to avoid looking like perverts. Laughing to himself once again at the cruel joke he played, he pulled off his clothing and slipped on the white dress shirt in the white grocery bag before he shook Nunnally's shoulder softly. "Nunnally, wake up." Her soft breathing abruptly halted as she regained consciousness, sucking in air quickly before exhaling and then resuming her normal breathing pattern.

"Lelouch, is that you?" she whispered softly to the loving Lamperouge that knelt in front of her. Lelouch made a small noise in reply and she smiled softly. Her brother removed the Black Knights jacket that crumpled upon her lap that she had been using as a blanket and placed it on the desk after neatly folding it first. She then remembered about her newly gained ability to see once again, and was about to open her eyes when she recalled Zero's order to keep them shut. Her eyelids twitched with the conflict. "Big brother, is it okay if I...?"

Lelouch nodded, despite his sister being unable to see it. "Of course, Nunna." he answered softly. "Open your eyes; it's why I returned your sight to you, right?" He watched as Nunnally opened her eyes carefully, vigorously blinking afterwards. Her eyelids felt stiff after sleeping and the strange heavy sensation was foreign to her. Even though she enjoyed this gift, right now, her eyes felt like closing off the scenery around her once again so she can sleep some more. Lelouch turned on the lights, allowing her to see more clearly, though this caused her to half-lid her eyes as her pupils adjusted. Lelouch then handed her the clothes in the bag while removing his own and placing it on the desk behind him. "You need to change into these clothes before we can go back, alright?" the raven-haired teen explained softly.

Nunnally examined them carefully before she nodded in reply. She knew what she had in her hand; it was her old middle school uniform for Ashford Academy. It consisted of a white blouse, dark red tie emblazoned with the golden Ashford insignia, a short pink dress, a pair of white high socks, and matching dark red loafers. She knew what they looked like before; her brother had described it to her before. However, she never really realized that pink could look so... pink. Even though eight years ago, she had the capability of sight, she had forgotten what it was like to really see. Now that she could, the princess had a new respect for the gift and hoped she wouldn't inexplicably lose it again.

The two siblings changed right then and there; completely comfortable with the other's presence in the room. The two were used to it after all these years of Lelouch helping Nunnally into her clothes back in Japan or when he helped her into her school uniform when Sayoko was busy cooking breakfast. Lelouch finished first as usual, buttoning the final button of his Ashford Academy jacket before helping out Nunnally into her outfit like he used to back in the day. Nunnally felt so comfortable to his touch; it brought back an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. "Lelouch..." she whispered as he helped pulled her high socks up her leg. "We're going back to Ashford?"

"Of course." Lelouch replied in his own soft whisper, fixing up the final sock before examining her sister and making a noise of satisfaction. "Oh, but you need to go in a disguise." he continued. "Even though you never made your debut yet, you're still a princess." He grabbed the plastic bag sitting on the floor which held all their clothing and pulled out a hairnet, a long lilac-haired wig and sky blue coloured contacts; he was grateful that he could rely on Geassed persons to follow his orders to the letter. "Light purple is still your favourite colour, right Nunna? Or is it... pink?" He pulled out a blush pink-haired wig from the bag and placed the purple one back. Nunnally's eyes widened considerably as the pink wig swished through the hair as Lelouch messily threw it over her hair, purposely leaving a few strands over Nunnally's face as he examined what it looked like on his sister. "We can just give the other one to Kallen." he affirmed.

Nunnally giggled with glee as her brother stuffed her wavy chestnut hair into the white hairnet and carefully placed the wig onto her head. His touch tickled her; the both of them were completely aware that one of Nunnally's weak spots was around her neck. A little brush against the skin underneath her head and she burst out laughing hysterically with an irresistible tone that made others laugh along with her. Lelouch chuckled as well as he fixated the wig onto her head with a touch of finality before examining her looks once again. Because the contacts were uncomfortable (he had experience with this), Nunnally would wait until later to put them on. The princess looked completely different with short and straight pink hair; it was a lot different from her usual look. Just before they returned to school, he knew that they would have to visit a professional make-up artist to finalize the last few details to create a much more successful disguise.

The princess gestured over to a mirror she spotted onto the ground and Lelouch picked it up and faced the somewhat grimy glass surface towards her. She gazed at her new looks closely, tousling the wig hair playfully as her huge grin remained on her face. Her indigo eyes shined brightly amidst the dark room and really did affect her appearance. Even though she was blind, with just a wig it was already difficult to discover her new identity. "I love it, big brother!" Nunnally exclaimed happily. "Pink! It's just so... pink!" She felt as though she had returned to being five year old Nunnally once again playing with Lelouch and Euphy back at the homeland, throwing pillows at each other and telling stories and arguing and... Needless to say, it was a long list. Those were good times and she dreadfully missed those days. Her grin shrunk down to a solemn smile. "Lelouch, I was thinking about Euphy..."

Lelouch wrapped his hands around Nunnally's as though to comfort her. His hands were cold in comparison to the princess's and he shivered at the mention of his first love's name. His insides felt as though they froze over; a feeling that resembled swallowing cough syrup containing acetaminophen. He remembered his promise to Nunnally; eventually, he would have to reveal all. "Nunnally, now is not the time." he hissed as he removed the wig and hairnet to put them back in the bag. "I promise that once we get to Ashford, we will talk about it, alright?" His hands fumbled around his sister's before he wrapped her pinky finger around his. "Now how did that song go again...?" he murmured thoughtfully before he began to sing softly. "Cross my heart, hope to die..."

"Stick a thousand needles if you lie..." Nunnally continued hesitantly, singing along as softly as she could. She gripped tighter onto her brother's pinky as feelings overwhelmed her again. However, she refused to cry now; she had to be strong for the both of them. She bounced the two hands together and did her best to plaster a small smile on her face as she sang, "Pinky promise song!" and finally let go of her brother's pinky. Lelouch smiled lightly before giving his sister a warm hug. "You promised, big brother." Nunnally whispered into his ear before closing her eyes; fatigue washed over her and drained her quickly of all remaining energy she possessed. "You... promised..."

"Yes, Nunnally, I did promise..." Lelouch whispered back. He didn't move as he felt his sister grow limp, a clear indication that she had crashed; any energy remaining had been wiped out by whatever emotions and conflict had raged inside her and eventually, her body couldn't take it anymore. In a few moments, she was fast asleep in his arms, breathing softly again and left alone to her dreamless sleep. The princess's older brother gently caressed her head in his arms before he slowly pushed her back onto the wheelchair and fixed her position so she wouldn't be uncomfortable as she slept. Nunnally didn't make any signs to indicate that she was aware of these movements. "At one point, I promised I would never lie to you. But now..." He stopped his train of thought to pack his Zero uniform into its case that was left behind in a small corner by the door. He placed the mask, however, back on his face for good measure. "...But now I had to promise to tell the truth."

Lelouch got behind Nunnally's wheelchair once more and draped the Black Knights jacket over her as a blanket again. It was Kallen's, as he recalled. He knew that as soon as he safely got his sister to the Knightmares, he would return it to the fiery-haired pilot. The student opened the back door of the office, leading back outside within the depths of the bush. The exit was placed in the farthest corner of the warehouse and led out into a deep part of the forest. All of the Black Knights activity was to the front of the warehouse and the bush provided the perfect cover; Lelouch did not fear of his identity being revealed, but just in case, he kept Zero's mask on his head.

The _Vincent_ and a golden _Sutherland_ that had been captured during the Black Rebellion last year waited patiently in a clearing that resided deeper into the forest. There was a rough path created that Lelouch was aware would help get them back to the Tokyo Settlement. Rolo and Kallen were already at the controls, chatting idly with each other with their respective cockpits open. A cable descended from the Sutherland as Lelouch helped Nunnally into the cockpit with Nunnally. Because the cockpit itself wasn't at all roomy and lacked space for another person, Kallen had to keep the roof open and drive carefully to avoid any harm befalling Zero's beloved sister.

"Here Kallen." Lelouch handed Kallen the Black Knights jacket that Nunnally was using as a blanket. "I believe this is yours, though if you don't mind..." Kallen remained silent as Lelouch placed it over his sister once again to keep her warm. The night was chilly and it would take a while out in the cold temperatures to get there; he didn't want his sister getting sick. As soon as he was finished with Nunnally, he placed his foot into the foothold and used the cable to lower himself onto firm ground before waiting in front of Rolo's Knightmare.

The _Vincent_ then lowered its arms and cupped its hands, creating a place to allow Lelouch to sit. The _Lancelot_ mass-production prototype could only fit one person as well, and because Rolo was the pilot, Lelouch was forced to remain sitting on its metal hands. He jumped on and placed the black case containing Zero's costume to the side before taking off the mask. The plates clicked loudly in the silence of the forest. He then zipped the bag open and placed the metal object into the case beside his folded uniform before closing it and looking around.

Despite being on Knightmares with full energy fillers, Lelouch only intended to go up to the outskirts of Tokyo where a second Black Knights warehouse was located. An old grey SUV, a vehicle more suitable for use in the city, was located there and Lelouch intended to use that to drive the rest of the way into the Tokyo settlement without raising suspicion. They were forced to use Knightmares now because they were the only vehicles available at the time. They would be riding the large mechas under the cover of the night with the off-road forest path concealing them as well, so being out in the open didn't matter. If they were spotted, Lelouch would most likely just use his Geass to have whoever spotted them forget what they saw.

"Take it slow and be gentle with her, Kallen." Lelouch instructed her lightly, gesturing to Nunnally to make sure Kallen didn't confuse the term _her _for any other being. "I don't want any harm to befall her. If anything happens, I swear I'm selling you out to Britannia." His tone of voice made it sound like he was joking and Kallen almost laughed as a result, but then she noticed his strict amethyst orbs which gazed at her dangerously, contradicting the criteria of a joking person. She soon realized that part of him really meant it and _Guren_ pilot gulped before shaking the concern out of her mind with a stiff nod.

"Of course, Lelouch." Kallen replied. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to Nunna as well. Both of our best interests will be kept in mind then." With that, she pushed the Knightmare onward and took the lead. The raven-haired teen nodded, approving of her speed before looking up from his spot to the _Vincent_'s _factspheres_. He gestured his younger brother up and onward and with a resounding jolt of the mechanics, the _Vincent_ lifted its arms so Lelouch was against the mecha's chest before it followed the _Sutherland's_ lead.

* * *

><p>An hour into the ride through the dense forest, the path led into a deep ditch that spread over a short distance; a distance that could potentially damage her <em>Sutherland's<em> gear. The ditch was soaked with water which caused the soil to become sticky and impassable on unequipped Knightmares. The night only seemed to get darker and Kallen caught on to the presence of such danger last minute. Seeing this, Kallen instinctively used the _Sutherland's_ suspensions to jump in the air, only to land roughly and almost wake Nunnally up.

"Kallen!" Lelouch shouted from behind with a tone of worry. His voice had a hoarse undertone to it, almost as though he had been sobbing. "What the hell are you doing? I said be careful, not jump around like a reckless maniac! Nunnally's aboard, remember?" He was back to being Nunnally's older brother, completely unaware of the danger himself. He sent her a menacing scowl; if his expressions could kill, the _Sutherland_ would have immediately stopped in its tracks with a dead pilot in the cockpit. The _Vincent_ followed the _Sutherland's_ lead and leapt into the air, but it landed much more softly as though to help prove Lelouch's point and mock Kallen's Knightmare piloting prowess.

The _Sutherland_ turned around so Kallen could face Lelouch. Her adept skills made her capable of continuing the path while driving the Knightmare backwards as so. "I'm sorry, Lelouch." Kallen replied solemnly, her voice shaky due to the terrible terrain they were currently on. "I didn't mean it. I really didn't. It's just that, well..." She paused for a moment before she took in a deep breath and ranted, "That pit was there and I couldn't get past it so I had to jump over it but—". Mid-rant, she didn't seem to notice Lelouch's eyes as they widened to the point where they almost seemed to bulge out of their sockets.

"Kallen, you _fool_, look out!"

The _Vincent_ somehow sprinted ahead in a split second and smashed its arm against the side of the Sutherland, shoving it to the side. The sound of loud grinding metal was made while the two Knightmares skidded down different directions as a result. The momentum the sudden speed boost was difficult to stop and the Knightmare would have overrun the path if it weren't for the _Vincent_ pulling out its _Master_ _Vibration_ _swords_ and thrusting them into the ground in order to come to an instant halt. The _MVS's_ left a remarkable ditch in the path, continuing to emit a dark red hum in the air until Rolo flicked them against the large boulder in the path, smashing the large rock to pieces, and placed them back into their sheath.

Kallen was unfazed by the _Vincent's_ sudden attack and manoeuvred the Knightmare just in time to avoid tipping over. She threw the _Sutherland's_ arms out and stretched them to their maximum span on either side in order for the centre of gravity to shift enough, but one arm smashed into a part of the large boulder that Lelouch and Rolo had just saved them from. Despite the damage, this fortunately bought the adept Knightmare pilot just enough time to shift one of the _Sutherland's_ legs and regain balance. The _Vincent_ whipped around once again and tossed Lelouch up in the air like an acrobat in order for him to catch Nunnally as she slipped off the cockpit behind Kallen from all the commotion. Kallen caught them in the _Sutherland's_ uninjured arm just in time, sobbing in her cockpit from the near tragedy.

"L-Lelouch, I..."

"Nunnally, are you alright?"

Lelouch brushed his sister's hair away from her calm face; he seemed completely unaware of Kallen's panicked state. All he cared about now was the welfare of his sister. Nunnally's eyelids fluttered open; somehow she had remained asleep through the entire accident and only woke up now. Lelouch made sure to turn her away so Rolo and Kallen didn't find out that she had regained her sight. Nunnally looked up and saw the face of a panicked older brother who insisted on not letting her see what happened.

"...Lelouch?" she whispered softly. "What happened?"

"We got into a bit of a fray on the way there. All that matters is that you're fine though, right?" Lelouch leaned in and kissed his sister's forehead before tilting her upright to give her a warm embrace in his arms. He wrapped around her body tightly, as though he thought that letting her go meant losing her forever. "Does anything hurt? Any broken bones and such?" He continued to hug her as he stroked her hair, a habit that developed years ago in order to relieve Lelouch of the stresses of life. In any case, stroking his sister's hair was a lot more beneficial than turning to drugs as a stress reliever.

"I... I h-hurt..." Lelouch stiffened at Nunnally's response and was about to go into panic mode before Nunnally began to try and stifle her laughter. In the end, it failed and she burst out laughing against Lelouch's chest. The raven-haired teen reluctantly let her go, rather confused by what going on until Nunnally explained to him, "You were hugging me too tight, big brother, and it hurt!" The sound of her light giggles brought a smile to everyone's face, especially Lelouch who brightened up considerably. All signs of worry disappeared as the teen gave a thumb up to Rolo and Kallen. An audible sigh of relief was heard from the Guren pilot while Rolo in the cockpit remained static.

The _Sutherland_ lowered its arm to the ground in order to deposit Lelouch. "Keep your eyes closed, okay?" Lelouch told his sister. Nunnally simply nodded in reply before Lelouch jumped off the Knightmare's mechanical hand and watched as Kallen carefully lifted Nunnally up to the cockpit again and helped her on. "Make sure to hold on tightly, Nunnally!" Lelouch called out from the base of the _Sutherland_. "We don't want you falling off, alright?"

"Of course, big brother!" Nunnally replied. For good measure, she clung around Kallen's waist. Lelouch spotted the discarded Black Knights jacket that must have fallen off of his sister when she fell by the foot of the golden _Sutherland_ and took the liberty of dusting it off and throwing it up for Kallen to catch. Kallen wrapped it around Nunnally again to keep her warm before nodding to Lelouch.

"I promise, Lelouch. I promise that my recklessness will not get in the way of Nunnally's safety." Kallen assured him as confidently as she could, slightly afraid of being sold out to Britannia after recalling Lelouch's threat earlier. "I'm really sorry, though." Her hands gripped onto the _Sutherland's_ controls; her stupid mistake almost unbearable. She wanted to beat herself up over it. If it weren't for Nunnally being okay as a result, she was sure that she would have ended up being brutally murdered by Lelouch... or worse. She sighed outwardly before turning her attention back on the ebony-haired teen who flashed a quick smile at her which triggered confusion.

"Don't worry about it." Lelouch replied as he bounded over to the Vincent and took a seat in its cupped mechanical hands once more. "You already know how much I trust you, Kallen. You also know how valuable you are to the Black Knights... and to me." he smirked. "Besides, this is why you are not alone and we work as a team. Don't forget that." The _Vincent_ lifted its arms so Lelouch was raised back against the mecha's chest once more before driving off first. "Though now we'll take the lead and you'll have to catch up. Take care of Nunnally...!" His voice seemed to fade off as the distance between the two grew in an instant.

"H-Hey!" Kallen exclaimed angrily as she revved the gears on the _Sutherland_. She would have bolted off after him, but then she remembered all about her crippled passenger. The red-haired pilot turned around to face Nunnally, who was clinging onto her waist even more tightly than usual, almost as though she could feel Kallen's _want_ to drive after them and treat this like a competitive race. The princess had a determined look on her face, but was oddly blushing. Perhaps the chilly temperatures of the night were getting to her as well. "Are you ready, Nunna?" Kallen asked, getting the Knightmare into a position that looked as though it were ready to burst out sprinting in a race.

"Of course!" Nunnally replied happily. "If it's a race big brother wants, then you have to be prepared to win. I want to you to see the look on big brother's face when he loses!" Nunnally recalled the sound of Lelouch's voice when he would lose to Suzaku in the little physical competitions they would have as kids. It was a rare event to see Lelouch whine about his loss these days, but that's because Nunnally knew that Lelouch had smartened up; Suzaku was an exercise nut and there was no way he could beat him in anything involving fitness, running, acrobats, martial arts... otherwise, no one else dared challenge Lelouch in anything else because Nunnally's big brother was a master at everything else. She wanted Kallen to have an opportunity to beat Lelouch as well and anything like a race was it. "Go as fast as you can!"

"Uhh..." Lelouch made her promise that she would keep Nunnally safe by keeping at a slow pace, but Kallen could never say no to Nunnally. She was just so pure and innocent; it was difficult to comprehend that she was a royal princess of the country she was trying to topple over. Kallen gave her a smirk. "Very well, Your Highness. If that is what you wish, then so be it!" Kallen revved the Sutherland's controls once more before screaming, "Hold on tight!" and throwing the _Sutherland_ forward at maximum acceleration. The G forces were incredible at this speed and it only took a single minute for Kallen to catch up to Lelouch and the _Vincent_. The _Sutherland_ leapt from the side of a tree trunk, leaving a deep gash in the wood, and flipped over the yellow Knightmare, Nunnally and Kallen squealing in delight, before it landed in front of the Knightmare and zipped forward. "Gotcha, Lelouch!" Kallen exclaimed happily before slowing down and returning to their normal speed.

Lelouch could only scoff before uncomfortably tugging at his collar. "Th-that wasn't a race, Kallen!" he blurted out. "What were you thinking?" He would have said more, but Nunnally was looking back at him, smiling fondly. She seemed to have enjoyed the half-race and was smiling like he had never seen in so long. It was almost like eight years ago back when Suzaku made Nunnally laugh for the first time since their mother died. The same scenario appeared here. He couldn't hate Kallen for making his sister happy. That was why he decided to humbly accept defeat before looking up at the _Vincent's_ open _factspheres_ to talk to Rolo once again.

"You got him, Kallen!" Nunnally exclaimed happily, noticing that Lelouch's attention had averted from them. "We won!" She sighed contently; this was a great night. She had never been on a Knightmare frame before and was surprised to see how flexible they could move. It made driver almost superhuman, able to perform acrobats and actions that they may not have been able to do on foot. That final flip over Lelouch, Rolo, and the _Vincent_ made Nunnally gasp in awe; it was incredible. She couldn't help but open her eyes to see everything as it happened. The feeling of exhilaration was something she couldn't describe.

"So you had fun, Nunnally?" Kallen replied, just as content as the younger vi Britannia was.

"Of course!"

"Then I'm glad I have done something to make Your Highness happy."

"Oh, don't start with that! You're a Black Knight!" Nunnally didn't even notice her slip of tongue, though Kallen did. The red-haired _Guren_ pilot looked down mournfully at the sound of the name of the resistance movement she belonged in. Nunnally was young and, though maturing, still didn't have a full grasp on the concept of the fight between her brother, Zero, and the Black Knights and her father, Emperor Charles and Britannia. They were mortal enemies, yet somehow they still enjoyed moments like this together.

"Yeah, I guess I am..." Kallen answered hesitantly.

Noticing the tension, Nunnally stopped laughing and adopted a more serious attitude. She realized that maybe she shouldn't be joking about the Black Knights just yet, especially considering that she was supposed to be a princess belonging to the enemy of the woman in front of her. If Kallen were passionate about what she did, she had the potential to kill her. But yet... "Kallen, you know... they both adore you a lot."

Kallen looked back at Nunnally with a raised eyebrow. She had no idea what Nunnally had meant by those words. "What are you talking about, Nunnally?" she asked. Kallen then turned back around to focus on the road; she didn't want another accident like before occurring. The _Guren_ pilot didn't really enjoy seeing Lelouch so upset over a mistake that was completely her fault. The _Sutherland_ turned slightly as the path banked along, the _Vincent_ still rolling along behind them in perfect synchronization with them.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Kallen." Nunnally answered strictly. "They like you... Lelouch... and Zero."

* * *

><p>"—<em>Why did he... why is he Zero?"<em>

As soon as Nunnally mentioned the two personas her brother possessed in one personage, Kallen instantly recalled the conversation she and Nunnally had shared moments ago. It was back on the cargo ship in the room that looked out upon the large deck of the ship. Zero, Ohgi, and Todoh had just departed to discuss matters involving the Chinese Federation, leaving Kallen alone with Nunnally. The red-haired woman had been hoping to talk about Ashford and the good times, but she had forgotten the details of Nunnally's situation.

"I..." The _Guren_ pilot was at a loss for words, pitifully looking at the blind princess. She was, for once, glad that Nunnally was blind; that way, she wasn't able to see the expression on Kallen's face. The expression read of torment and misery, of anger and confusion. Kallen was still torn up about the whole 'Lelouch is Zero' concept. In fact, only seconds ago, Kallen had been hoping not to dip into this specific subject knowing that it would bring a lot of pain to the both of them.

"I'm sorry Nunnally, but I don't know the answer to that myself." Kallen answered reluctantly, brushing her hands softly against the princess's before standing up and slumping back on her own chair. Her muscles cramped after crouching in front of Nunnally's rusty hospital wheelchair and she felt compelled to relieve them. She sighed exasperatedly, her mind racking with reasons. "I know that he truly wants to liberate Japan, but I get the feeling that there is more to Zero's actions than that. Unfortunately, his true goals remain a mystery; even to me." Kallen looked down at her clasped hands gripped tightly against one another as they sat on her knees.

Nunnally had tears in her eyes and used her sleeve to wipe them off. She then sniffled a bit before saying, "...I see." The confident mask of a princess disintegrated before a friend she knew she could trust, leaving a defeated girl. For the first time in her life, Nunnally whimpered in fear; a fear generated by none other than her older brother. She had heard of all the tyrannous actions the Black Knights have taken with Zero leading them. In retrospect, the Black Knights were simply tools used to achieve Zero's needs. Whether he truly wanted to liberate Japan as a Knight for justice or was just doing all this to crave his own hunger for power, Nunnally didn't know. But she didn't care; as long as it didn't reach her.

Soon enough, she found herself whisked away as Zero and the Black Knights hit Ashford. She was kidnapped by an unknown assailant who sent her back to the homeland, away from Lelouch for an entire year. A year without her big brother was tough; everyday seemed to be one of longing for the past. They told her that she wasn't to contact anyone in Area 11 and soon was immersed in many political duties she was forced to take up as a Britannian princess. Suzaku was the only who showed her any real kindness along with Schniezel and Odysseus when they had some spare time to spend with her. But in the end, she still wanted to be with the one person that made up her entire life.

A year later, she had grown up rather significantly. She had developed her own independence and was relying less and less on others to help her out with the most basic of needs. Lelouch had pampered her before and she was determined to show him, wherever he was, that she could handle things on her own. Her life seemed to create a straight path for her. As soon as she had heard of Zero's resurrection, she begged Emperor Charles to send her to Area 11 in order to be Viceroy there. This way, she could get closer to wherever Lelouch may be and show him what she had accomplished.

She recalled the telephone call Suzaku had set up and at that moment, her hope had skyrocketed. Lelouch was alive; in over a year, the two finally spoke to one another. She got to hear his voice! But there seemed to be something strange about the situation. Something occurred between Lelouch and Suzaku that Nunnally wasn't aware about. That night, her mind sparked with her plans of recreating the SAZ in honour of both Euphemia and Lelouch. This was her tribute; this was her big plan to seek her brother out to be reunited. He was alive; the phone call proved it. Now, like she knew Euphy had intended, she would use the SAZ to try and get back remnants of the past she had been longing for so long. Perhaps Zero could help out as well. She did recall Euphy giving him a chance before and she planned to do the same.

But after today, all of these hopes have been dashed and tossed out like the useless garbage they were portrayed as. Zero and the Black Knights have kidnapped her just before her plans could be realized. She was taken hostage and Suzaku left behind. Nunnally then learned of Zero's true identity; it turned out that all this time, it was her big brother underneath the mask. Her big brother had done all those terrible things. Her big brother killed Euphy. Her big brother, Lelouch vi Britannia, was Zero.

Some part of the young vi Britannia felt that she should be rejoicing right now. After a year, she had finally been reunited with her brother. Her brother had even given her the gift of sight. Even now, she was still happy. At the same time, because he was Zero, everything she had been working so hard for had been cast aside. Her mind was instantly clouded with fear for everything. This past year, she had set her goal and her plan seemed straightforward until her brother, of all the people in the world, threw a wrench in her plan. The straightforward path her life was to take was crushed and took on a more unrecognisable shape; she wasn't able to follow it.

Nunnally was, in a sense, frustrated as a result. She was also confused; many questions popped up as soon as she discovered Zero's identity. And finally, fear lurked about. The princess couldn't help it; in her mind, Zero was an evil being. But Lelouch was her entire life; the one person who made her life worth living... a good person, at the very least. Finding out that the two characters were really one person contradicted everything. At the moment, Zero enveloped everything. She wasn't thinking about the man behind the mask being her loving brother anymore but as the demon she had learned so much about through the media and others. Her warped concept of him was nightmarish, and her confusion between her brother's two identities only added to the horrific factor.

This is why Kallen had to tell her the truth. She wasn't surprised that she knew Lelouch's identity; she already figured that the raven-haired teen would reveal his face to his sister as soon as they rescued her. Nunnally was completely lost, all thanks to Lelouch, and she needed to be set straight. Kallen may not have been aware of the back-story, but she was empathetic to the princess's feelings. The _Guren_ pilot got up again and lifted Nunnally gently off of the wheelchair before placing the princess on her lap as though she were a small child. She then began to bounce her up and down gently in order to calm her whimpering. It was an awkward position and seemed as though Kallen were treating the princess as though she were a baby, but it was the only thing she could do. Nunnally did look uncomfortable in that wheelchair anyway...

"Nunnally, I don't know what you are thinking right now, but I know that it can't be good if you have such a sad face on." Kallen murmured gently into Nunnally's ear. The Japanese woman then wrapped her skinny arms around Nunnally's waist and placed her head onto the crook of Nunnally's neck. "But always know this. Your _brother_ may be Zero, but you have to remember the good times you two shared before. Those were not lies. Zero is the lie, Nunna. But his love for you is the truth." Kallen fixed her posture and stroked Nunnally's soft chestnut hair gently, somewhat surprised at her own words. Nunnally soaked Kallen's message in and nodded.

"...Thank you, Kallen." Nunnally lamented before hugging Kallen back. She began to sob into Kallen's jacket. "You don't even understand... how m-much... that meant to me..." she grieved, her voice soft. The princess sniffled and rubbed her face with the silk sleeve of her pink dress. "E-even though you're a B-Black Knight and I'm a B-Britannian princess... you're still so k-kind. Thank you, K-Kallen. A...And..." Nunnally did her best to stop crying for a moment to look up at Kallen's sky blue eyes. "...And I'm g-glad Zero has you w-with him..." she finished in a voice that was barely audible, a soft breeze through the trees.

Kallen smiled. In a way, Nunnally's words had hit her like bricks and it was difficult to comprehend what she was saying. That last statement, regardless of volume, shook her. She could only smile indifferently, her mind blank. She didn't want to think about anything anymore. Nunnally was enough. The Britannian princess was glad that Zero had his ace... Nunnally was glad that Kallen was with Lelouch. There were so many contradictions and she knew that those simple words would keep her up all night for the next week or so, but for now, she simply wanted to soak in the time she spent with Lelouch's beloved sister in her arms, not knowing when their next opportunity to do so once again would be. Kallen didn't notice the couple of tears that ran down her smooth cheeks, falling onto Nunnally's lap.

"Anyway Nunnally, would you be okay if we talked about something else?" Kallen eventually said after letting go of Nunnally's warm embrace and placing her back on the grey wheelchair. She took off the Black Knights jacket and placed it over Nunnally's shoulder. "You need to catch up on the things that have been going on at Ashford..." Kallen's eyes suddenly glanced over Nunnally's shoulder where she spotted C2 standing by the doorframe, watching them carefully with her attentive mustard yellow eyes. The green-haired immortal nodded briefly to her before walking away. How long had she been standing there? Was she sent by Lelouch to protect his precious sister? Or perhaps she was here on her own accord, wandering around until she spotted something that perked her interest. It was just like her to do something like that anyway.

Oblivious to the witch's presence, Nunnally grinned. "Sure, why not?" she exclaimed as though nothing had happened, though her puffy red eyes betrayed her. Still, her content disposition was enough. "Tell me what Lelouch and Rivalz and Milly and the Student Council have been up to! And have you seen Alice? She's my best friend at Ashford; tell me something about her!" She perked up so quickly; the princess was just as good at putting on masks as her brother was. Kallen feared that this may eventually crush her, but for now, she needed to keep Nunnally's spirits up until they got to the Tokyo Settlement.

"_Well..."_

* * *

><p>"We're here!"<p>

The forest path that seemed to go on forever finally guided them into a clearing where the sunrise could be seen. It was about five and they arrived just in time. A couple of cars could be seen on distant roads within the ghettos, minding their own business. They were completely unaware of the KMFs riding through the large clearing. Nunnally, who was opening her eyes secretly, and Kallen looked at the scenery in awe. It had been the longest time since Nunnally had been to the Tokyo settlement. As for Kallen, it had been a while since she had been in the Shinjuku ghetto specifically. The desecrated buildings brought back memories for the both of them; Nunnally recalled the news broadcast about the event at the Shinjuku ghetto followed by realizing Suzaku was alive for the first time in eight years. Kallen remembered the first time she had been contacted by Zero, or rather, Lelouch.

The _Vincent_ and _Sutherland_ then turned around into an old and abandoned warehouse before slowing down to a stop. Kallen sighed outwardly as she lifted Nunnally from her spot and helped her down. Lelouch jumped off the Vincent's metal hands before pulling out a key in his back pocket. As soon as Kallen placed Nunnally into Lelouch's arms, the raven-haired prince carried her over to a grey SUV that had been placed in the very same building, all according to plan.

"Thank you Kallen, Rolo, for all of you help." Lelouch said gratefully to the two Knightmare pilots before he unlocked the door and placed Nunnally in without requesting any help from the two others. After pulling the seatbelt over Nunnally's chest and listening for the click, he closed the passenger door before stepping into the driver's seat. He rolled down the window to say, "We'll meet you at the designated spot at the Settlement. Take your Knightmares to Point 5; there will be another vehicle waiting for you there."

"I'll see you soon, nii-san!" Rolo exclaimed happily as he opened the Vincent's cockpit to watch as the SUV started up and drove out of the doors of the warehouse. Lelouch stuck his hand out of the door and waved before pressing softly on the pedal and turning the wheel in order to drive away. A dust cloud followed the vehicle as it drove off towards Tokyo. As soon as the SUV carrying the two vi Britannias was out of sight, Rolo looked to Kallen who was still gazing off to the horizon, deep in thought. "Are you ready, Kallen?" Rolo asked her.

"Huh?" Kallen snapped out of her train of thought. She had been thinking about how quickly this was all going. Soon enough, she would be returning to Ashford. Even though she had been keeping tabs on Lelouch and the on-goings of Ashford Academy, it wasn't the same as actually attending the classes and such there. "Umm... right. Go on right ahead." She made sure to step back from the _Sutherland_ as Rolo pulled out the _Vincent's_ rifle. He then used up the remainder of the belt to completely demolish the golden _Sutherland_. The bullets smashed violently in the metal as the sound of gunfire ricocheted all over the warehouse. Kallen was used to the sound, but the action's nature still rocked her. Soon, the golden Knightmare was a smoking heap of serrated metal.

Rolo stood at the cockpit, his eyes emotionless and face cold. He shifted another one of the controls which caused the Vincent's hands to cup once more. Kallen hopped on in the same manner Lelouch did before fixing her cardigan and giving Rolo a thumb up. Rolo closed the cockpit roof and the _Vincent_ began to move once more before a new whirring came into play. The Knightmare began to take on a new direction which made Kallen's eyes widen in surprise.

In a few short seconds, they were in the air.

The _Vincent's_ _float_ _system_ had been installed recently and emitted a small green glow to mark its presence. Kallen swung her legs beneath the metal fingers casually as she gazed at the scenery now below her, almost expecting to see Lelouch's SUV along one of the roads. She wasn't particularly scared of heights, but being out in the open like this brought along a fear of being swept off by the wind. She clutched onto the Knightmare Frame's metal hands, glad that Rolo was still taking into consideration the speed he should fly at. A white bird grazed through the air beside her before it flew on faster than the pace they were at, almost as though it were challenging them. Kallen chuckled; if she were flying in the cockpit, she definitely would have sped up.

After all, she was almost there.

* * *

><p>AN: I know. The last part(s) didn't flow with the same smoothness I had been hoping to retain. Regrettably, I screwed up somewhere during the planning process and didn't take into consideration certain aspects of this chapter. I was supposed to cut off just as Nunnally discussed how her brother seemed to be rather fond of Kallen, but then I remembered that I still needed to discuss the cliff-hanger resolution from the last chapter... so from there on, it was complete improvisation. I had to cut out another part involving Lelouch and Rolo too... there's 2 000 words gone to waste. Whatever.

So do weekly updates sound good?  
>You awesome readers only deserve the best, after all!<p>

I still enjoy your reviews as well! As you can see, the motivation they provide works. So, as always, feel free to discuss things in the chapter, ask any questions, and perhaps volunteer ideas or beta-reader services. Critiques are always appreciated as well. Thank you for reading and I will see you all in Chapter 4!


	4. False Identity

A/N: Hello once again! Sorry it took a lot longer than usual, especially considering that it was just after I mentioned weekly updates, but I had exams all of last week and lacked the time to work on this chapter. On the bright side, it is summer break now... partially. I actually have to attend summer school for the next month and my parents are insisting on dragging me to random excursions here and there. Then in August, I'm going to be gone for three weeks... one week in NC for a famjam then two weeks at soccer camp. I admit; I have a rather busy summer ahead of me with hardly any time to rest, but I guarantee that the usual effort will be seen.

Also, thank you to Keith Fraser and MisterSP for your more critical review on my writing style. It's good to see that there are some people who take the time to read every detail of the story. I, for one, have a habit of skimming through chapters... I simply lack the patience. I've taken into consideration what you have said and am correcting m

Before I thank you all, I want to get this chapter started.  
>Now promise me that you will all read and enjoy!<p>

* * *

><p>Shirley and Rivalz jumped off of their chairs as though their seats had instantaneously burst into flames. Their faces held looks of surprise as they looked at the two people by the door of the meeting room that had just walked in. Their arrival was unexpected after all; it was still 7 in the morning and the only people in the Student Council clubhouse right now were Shirley, Rivalz, Lelouch, and Rolo. It was pretty evident that the two new visitors weren't the Lamperouge siblings; the two weren't even male.<p>

It was a 17 year old purple-haired female along with a 15 year old girl in a wheelchair with short pink hair and sky blue eyes that matched the woman behind her. They were in their Ashford Academy uniforms, the tall girl in a high school uniform while the girl in the wheelchair was in a small middle school uniform. The two were most likely siblings; sharing the same face structure, skin colour, and eyes. However, one was more _mature_ than the other and instigated Rivalz's flirting.

"Hello there...!" Rivalz slid over to the purple-haired girl's side, eyebrows raised and his eyes glued to the woman's overly well-developed rack. A smooth grin was plastered on his now pink face, the blue-haired teen completely forgetting about his crush for Milly Ashford. "My name is Rivalz Cardemonde... and you are...?" The woman's eyes quivered before her hand shot up into the air before crashing down against the blue-haired teen's cheek with a satisfying smack, leaving a stinging red mark on his face. Dirty perverts always get what they deserve.

Shirley, on the other hand, was eyeing the girl in the wheelchair with curious eyes. For some reason, she felt a feeling of recognition at the sight of her, but she couldn't figure out what caused it. This is why she placed the ballpoint pen she had been holding in her hand to complete the student council work onto the desk and moved towards the crippled girl in the wheelchair. The cripple's sky blue eyes gazed at Shirley warily as though she was worried about something, but such a fear was not warranted, even if Shirley was a total stranger.

"Welcome!" Shirley squeaked. She blushed brightly before instinctively placing her hands over her mouth in embarrassment. "I-I mean... I'm Shirley! Shirley Fenette." She knocked herself on the head lightly and the girl in the wheelchair giggled lightly. The orange-haired teen smiled along with Rivalz who was receiving a dark and menacing glare from the girl he was trying to hit on.

"I'm Kaelin Thompson." the purple-haired teen stated happily while grinning widely. She seemed rather excited to see Shirley, not as excited to meet the flirtatious Rivalz. Her eyes almost seemed to sparkle with the concept of just being in this very room. "And this here is my younger sister, Nalanie." She brushed Nalanie's pink hair before slipping her fingers along the back of her neck which caused her to laugh. The young girl in the wheelchair was rather ticklish around her neck. Stroking her hair alone caused goose bumps to form along her arm.

Nalanie looked into the eyes of both Rivalz and Shirley before saying, "It's nice to see the both of you!" she exclaimed, genuinely happy to be here too. Shirley had truly never seen someone so content to be at school, whether it was their first time here or not. "We just enrolled here and Mr. Ashford allowed us to take a tour of the school before we start attending our classes next week. We got into uniforms he lent us so that we wouldn't stick out, though..." Nalanie paused for a moment. "I'm 15 now, so that puts me in the high school group. But for some reason, Mr. Ashford lent me a middle school uniform... Am I really that small?" Everyone laughed.

"...Will you two be staying in the girl's dorm?" Shirley asked. For some reason, she felt that a girl in the wheelchair should be living in the clubhouse, but something like that was absurd. Besides, Lelouch and Rolo were staying here; there would hardly be any space or... Shirley looked at Kaelin and thought that someone as _pretty_ as her could easily grab Lulu's masculine heart before she could! The orange-haired teen wouldn't allow that! So she blurted out, "Well, you can't live here! Lelouch and Rolo are already here! A-And they're guys!"

Nalanie and Kaelin seemed to frown in response; the two of them were completely confused as a result of Shirley' sudden outburst. Suddenly, a voice from behind them called out, "Rolo and I are already where?" At the sound of the voice, Shirley seemed to blush a deeper shade of red as everyone turned to watch as Lelouch Lamperouge, along with Suzaku, walked in. They had been talking casually like they usually did, their main topic this morning either about Lelouch skipping class or why Suzaku decided to visit him so early in the morning.

"N-None of your business, Lulu!" Shirley stammered nervously before freezing up on the spot. She snapped out of quickly as everyone turned to face her. The orange-haired teen sighed in frustration before going back over to her spot around the large table in the room to finish up more of her Student Council work before class. "Rivalz, you better get to work too! The equestrian club is going to be _pissed_ if we don't organize their budget by the time class starts!"

"I see the new students are here." Lelouch nodded casually at Kaelin and Nalanie who both waved shyly at the sharp purple-eyed student before he stood around the table. Rivalz, who remained standing instead of returning to work like Shirley insisted, along with Suzaku looked at the raven-haired teen before Lelouch explained, "I met these sisters earlier this morning; Principal Ashford introduced the two of them to Milly and I, seeing as we are President and Vice President of the Student Council respectively." His amethyst eyes gestured over to the seat closest to him; the one by the far side of the long desk, before pulling it out. "Take a seat. I'm sure you need to rest a bit."

"Oh, thank you." Without hesitation, Kaelin accepted the offer and sat down in her spot. Lelouch took the seat right beside her; Shirley's face reddened with envy. The lilac-haired teen pulled Nalanie beside her to the edge of the long brown desk, though she hardly noticed. Nalanie was busy absorbing everything about her surroundings. The cripple's eyes seemed to examine everything; from the walls, to the windows, and then to the faces of everyone here. Her sky blue eyes then landed at Suzaku's face who was watching her carefully.

"Suzaku!" Nalanie blurted out abruptly, her voice sounding as though he were a long-lost friend. Even she was unsure how she knew his name; after all, she had never truly _seen_ the Japanese Knight in her life and no one in the room mentioned his name yet. Suzaku made a noise of surprise as his watchful gaze became a dangerous glare. However, Nalanie seemed unfazed as her eyes shone brightly, staring at the Knight of Seven in amazement.

From the corner of her vision, she could see Lelouch's face flash of concern, slightly panicked at her slip of tongue. Fortunately, she had come up with the perfect recovery. "Suzaku Kururugi, Knight of Seven! I am SUCH a big fan! Wow, you are so much prettier in person!" Nalanie turned to Kaelin who had a look of pity on. "Kaelin nee-chan, do you have a pen and paper? I want to get an autograph!"

Lelouch chuckled lightly. "Nalanie, now's not the time." He reached over and gently placed a hand over Nalanie's, a sort of loving affection surfacing from behind his eyes. "I'm sure that even Suzaku needs a break from the publicity. It's a rule in our school that we refrain from harassing him." He said this in such a joking manner, his fingers lifting off of the cripple's hands mockingly. Nalanie directed a frown of annoyance towards him, her sky blue eyes simmering as a result of the Vice President's word choice.

"But I wasn't harassing him!" she protested.

Kaelin placed a hand over Nalanie just like Lelouch had and whispered in her ear, "Nalanie, it's fine." She then leaned back on her chair, her attention still on Nalanie. "You'll be going to this school regularly." she continued, her voice much louder for all to hear. "You can have a dose of Suzaku every single day if you would like. Ask him later, alright?" She pecked her sister lightly on the cheek and Nalanie blushed.

"Whatever you say, ane."

Suzaku then placed a small paper on the new student's lap before giving her a quick embrace. Nalanie opened it up and found that he had drawn his signature on it with black ink. She folded it up and looked back up to Suzaku curiously. "No, it's alright." he said, leaving Nalanie rather confused. "I don't mind it at all. Frankly, I kind of miss the warmer side of the attention being a Knight of the Round has gained me." He looked down and gave the floor a frown that he wanted to keep away from the crippled girl.

"Britannians hate me for being an Eleven and the Japanese detest me for being a Britannian wannabe. Unlike Lelouch implied, I have been asked for an autograph sparingly." The green-eyed Japanese teen winked at Nalanie, causing her to blush slightly. "It was nice meeting you, Nalanie-chan." A sad feeling seemed to cast over his face for a moment and disappeared in an instant as though it were never there. Needless to say, he was remembering what had happened two days ago.

Nalanie seemed to catch on to Suzaku's sorrow. "Is something wrong, Kururugi-shi?" she asked, amazing those unfamiliar with the use of that particular Japanese honorific. Suzaku wasn't too surprised; despite Nalanie's dominant Britannian looks, he figured, judging from her older sister, that she was probably half Eleven like a particular _Guren_ pilot that comes to mind.

"Nothing, Nalanie-chan." Suzaku replied. "Nothing is wrong." He ran his fingers through his short and curly brown hair before sitting down across from Lelouch, clasping his hands together in front of him on the table as though he were praying. It was pretty evident to everyone that he was hiding something, but no one wished to delve any further in fear that it most likely involved confidential military issues. "But thank you for your concern; it means a lot."

"So Suzaku..." Lelouch started as though he weren't aware of his depression at all; his deep amethyst oculars sparked jokingly. "I heard something did happen yesterday. What happened?" Suzaku's emerald orbs flashed dangerously as Lelouch pressed, "I recall that during the party, you mentioned that the new Viceroy of Area 11 was supposed to make an announcement later today, but I just heard that the assembly for said announcement just got cancelled. Can you tell us anything about it?"

Kaelin leaned in behind Lelouch's head, Shirley watching the two carefully. Silently, she hissed, "What the _hell_ are you doing? Are you going to blow our cover?" She pulled away and looked at the ebony - haired teen passively. Lelouch continued to look at Suzaku as though he hadn't been aware of Kaelin's movements, his gaze still imploring an answer from the Knight of Seven. Lelouch then twitched his hands, successfully drawing in Kaelin's attention like he had anticipated. Looking through the corner of her eye, Kaelin watched as his fingers shifted silently underneath the table and made different signals, tapping onto his knees in particular intervals as though a parlour trick.

He was using sign language.

"_I am having fun with Suzaku."_

Kaelin's ability in sign language was developed when she was young and had to care for a girl who had gone deaf from the Pacific war. It has been eight years since then and her skills were sketchy, but Lelouch used simple signs that anyone, whether they possess the knowledge of the language or not, could understand and he repeated the message three times so Kallen could catch on. It was just coincidence that she knew how to read the signals properly, but it was clearly the language of the deaf. He was using the tip of his knee as though it were his chest, which is why he seemed to be tapping his knee in rhythm.

After repeating the message three times, Lelouch varied the hand signals again, creating a different message. This time, he needed to use his other hand, so he reached his right hand over to his left knee before moving them around in different patterns, making sure to choose simple signs again and repeating the message slowly and carefully.

"_I will not risk you. I will not reveal you. Pay attention."_

There could have been a more sagacious way of sending that message, but the fact that he was only to use simple signs was a roadblock that required many detours. Kaelin looked back at Suzaku who was returning Lelouch's look with a murderous glare. Nalanie's elder sister was aware of what was most likely running through the Japanese teen's mind; he was trying to find a hole in Lelouch's story that he could poke at, a hole that the Vice President of Ashford Academy shouldn't be aware of unless he was Zero.

However, whether Lelouch knew it or not – though considering who this was, Kaelin had faith that he knew what he was doing – he had lathered his story with the voice of reason. The story was short, concise, and provided no opportunities for Suzaku. This is why after the long silence, Suzaku looked down again and scratched his head nervously. Kaelin glanced over at Lelouch who was observing him, his piercing gaze directing Kaelin to the strength of Suzaku's scratching specifically. Though he was hiding it through the hair strands, the power of that scratching was beyond ridiculous and could actually hurt; there was no doubt that he was frustrated.

Suzaku looked back at everyone with a nervous smile plastered onto his face, hiding his true feelings behind the mask of an average high school student. "It's no surprise that you're right again, Lelouch." he remarked with an almost content tone that shouldn't have been warranted in this situation. Lelouch's eyebrow perked up, acknowledging his 'surprising' answer. Kaelin glanced over to his lap one more time to check if he intended on sending her another secret message, but nothing came.

"What do you mean?" Rivalz exclaimed just as he finally sat down to work on the bills for the equestrian club. He was just about to start, but Suzaku had distracted him. "D-Did something happen to the new Viceroy on the way here?" He tapped the black pen onto his cheek thoughtfully before dramatically pointing straight into Suzaku's face before yelling out, "It wasn't Zero and the Black Knights, was it?"

Suzaku looked to Rivalz straight in the eye, his facade wavering. The stare caused a shiver to go up Rivalz's spine as he put his arm back to his side and was tempted to break the powerful gaze. The emerald-eyed teen then said, "That is correct." before turning back to Lelouch and saying, "I would elaborate more on the matter, but it's a military secret for now. Besides, I'm sure you'll be able to find more information quickly, considering your sources." His voice was deep and ominous, but despite the dark intentions, Lelouch was unmoved.

"Damn." the ebony-haired teen chuckled. "And here I was hoping I could get some information from the one guy I know who was there at the time." His hair covered his eyes, creating a mysterious air around him as he muttered irritably, "Though, you're wrong. Despite my status here, I doubt I'll be able to dig up anything real. You over-estimate the rank a Student Council member of some average high school has in society." He looked back into the eyes of Suzaku as he commented wryly, "Or perhaps you were discussing of something else."

"Well, you could always try!" Shirley chimed in, oblivious to the tension between the darkly smiling Lelouch and the fake contented Suzaku. "I mean, the girls here will tell you anything if you so much as ask." Lelouch and Suzaku turned away from one another and gave Shirley a sceptical look, only now catching onto what she was insinuating. Lelouch's look specifically caused the orange-haired teen to blush before trying to hide her face by diving right back into the paperwork. However, the red tinge was clearly visible and it caused everyone to laugh. Her reddened cheeks became more noticeable as Shirley screamed, "Don't laugh at me!" Typical teenage behaviour meant that her outburst could only induce more laughter.

After letting out a dramatic groan of defeat, Shirley slumped over the papers gripped onto the pen more tightly, muttered something under her breath, and completely engulfed herself in work to try and distil her emotions. It didn't take long for the mocking laughter to die down, mainly due to pity, but also because Shirley's embarrassment lost its comedic qualities.

Lelouch turned back to Suzaku who was looking at Nalanie thoughtfully before turning back to him with quite the devilish smirk on his face. It was rather evident from the sudden change of emotion Suzaku revealed that a plot had formed quickly in the Japanese teen's mind and somehow, the raven-haired teen knew that this did not bode well for him.

Lelouch crudely recalled one comment Suzaku had made on their early morning walk here that didn't stick out in particular at the time, but vexed him like a thorn in his side as he watched Suzaku's eyes widen; the plan was taking flight in his mind. It was a comment made about Lelouch's lack of effort in Physical Education class. At the time, it was a small joke, but considering Suzaku's current state of mind, it was not coincidence that this was the first thing Lelouch figured was running through his friend's thoughts right now.

"Lelouch..." Suzaku started, his tone sloped upwards indicating that it was the start of a question. Said boy raised an eyebrow in response as the brown-haired teen continued. "Do you recall our talk this morning about how I thought that the reason you're missing out on Phys. Ed classes is because you lack exercise in general?"

"_...Of course I'm right..."_ Lelouch retorted mentally as he silently nodded, already piecing together what this would lead to. His muscles had begun to ache from the future physical torment they were about to endure. It was almost as though they were trying to get used to it now so the pain wouldn't be as harsh. His face became slightly paler as Suzaku caught on to his agitation and pressed on.

Suzaku quickly got up and bounded over to Lelouch's side where he pulled him up and began the process of dragging him out the door. "We'll see you two in class!" Suzaku exclaimed as he lugged an unwilling Lelouch out the door. Lelouch didn't make a sound as he tried to fight back against the Lancelot pilot to no avail. Suzaku's grip on his wrist was too tight; Lelouch wouldn't be able to get it loose even if he cut Suzaku's arm off. "Lelouch and I are going for a little run!"

This time, it was Shirley's turn to burst out laughing. "Lulu and running don't mix, Suzaku!" she exclaimed as everyone stopped what they were doing to listen to Lelouch's loud protests out the door. "Just like cats and tomatoes! But good luck with that anyway!" Kaelin, Nalanie, and Rivalz joined in with Shirley's now hysterical laughter as Lelouch finally caved in and screamed down the hall of the clubhouse, waking Rolo up.

"Was that... Big Brother?" The younger Lamperouge murmured thoughtfully as he rubbed his eyes tiredly to try and rid himself of the heaviness in his eyelids that came from fatigue. The young boy was still in his bedroom in the clubhouse and had just woken up to something. Unlike those of the Student Council and the two new students downstairs, all other students weren't required to wake up as early.

He glanced over to the alarm clock on the side of his bed as he sat up. The time was now 7:14 AM; his alarm clock was to ring in one minute. Rolo turned the alarm off before it could start blaring needlessly as he muttered under his breath, "I could have just sworn I heard nii-san's scream... hmm..." He shrugged to himself, believing that it must have been part of his dream. After all, something that could make someone like Lelouch scream horrifically must quite the terrifying prospect.

* * *

><p>Lelouch, from experience, knew that there was no use in him trying to fight against Suzaku's grip; though that didn't really matter because Suzaku was running way too quickly for his own good. The ex-prince could only pay attention to trying to keep up with his Japanese friend in order to avoid tripping and falling disgracefully onto the ground. Part of him wanted to just collapse as the two of them ran down the main driveway that ran down towards to fountain on Ashford grounds. Maybe if he purposely tripped right now, he could drag Suzaku down with him, thus inflicting well-deserved pain on the other boy...<p>

"Suzaku, can't you slow down?" Lelouch huffed, wheezing slightly as Suzaku pulled him on, making a sharp right turn into the dense bush that served as a border on the outskirts of the campus. However, the Japanese teen didn't slow down; in fact, it seemed as though he picked up the pace, jumping over a bush that Lelouch could only charge through, miraculously keeping his balance while doing so. Suzaku expertly dodged branch after branch; Lelouch amateurishly kept running, getting whipped in the face by said branch after branch.

After another ten minutes of Suzaku's running and Lelouch's panting, their efforts soon led to an opening on the other side of the bush. The Japanese teen's smile broadened even more as he mercifully let go of Lelouch's arm and sprinted at full speed, bursting out into the clearing. Lelouch stumbled and slowed down to a cross between a walk and the limp of a dying bear as he caught up with Suzaku eventually. The Britannian, still struggling to catch his breath, quickly took in his surroundings before saying, "Of course only you would know a short-cut to the track, Suzaku."

"And so begins your daily training!" Suzaku replied, too jubilantly for his own good. He talked about what was to come as though it had been a special surprise he was excited to reveal. "Seeing as I am your friend, Coach Villetta has asked me to assist in your Phys. Ed learning."

"I need to have a talk with Coach Villetta after this." Lelouch muttered quietly. Suzaku looked to him, only hearing glimpses of what he had said, but Lelouch made it seem like he had said nothing and was wondering what Suzaku was talking about, trying to pass the Japanese teen off as slightly delusional. Suzaku shrugged it off; he didn't really care.

The two walked towards the track, one more reluctant than the other. As soon as they reached the empty grounds, Suzaku tossed Lelouch a pair of gym shorts. "I believe you'll need these." he commented. Lelouch had been half-expecting to see the traditional Ashford uniform shorts, but this pair was black instead of the usual green. They flipped in the air before Lelouch caught the fabric and allowed it to crumple to his touch.

"So I have the change out in the open?" he commented without much protest in his voice; the track was barren at the moment so he should be fine. The ebony-haired teen's eyes squandered the grounds, still making sure that there was no one around, before beginning to unbutton his Ashford jacket. He took the time to fold it neatly before setting it on the grass. Suzaku was turned away, looking out into the distant open and focused on his breathing. Lelouch, seeing this, unzipped his pants and removed them without much thought to the other's presence before hastily jumping into the shorts. He unbuttoned his white collared shirt halfway before poking Suzaku on the shoulder, indicating that he was finished.

"I suppose we should start with seeing you run at least one lap around the track, then work from there." Suzaku murmured. He seemed to be talking more to himself then telling Lelouch what to do. The ex-prince tried to sneak over to the bush where perhaps he could hide out before finally escaping, but Suzaku was watching over him like a hawk, telling him that there was no way that he could escape while he was here and no matter what, he was forced to run. There was no use in protesting, so Lelouch remained silent and reserved the energy for the actual run.

Sighing exasperatedly, Lelouch reluctantly began to jog along the track, Suzaku right on his tail. He wasn't able to slow down or stop without being scolded by his friend. Just with Suzaku's presence alone, he was being threatened in some way. Temptations to either start walking or stop altogether plagued his mind. Even after only the first 100 metres, Lelouch could already begin to feel the lactic acid build-up hampering his performance, but with Suzaku just behind him, he couldn't stop.

After about a couple of minutes consisting of converting energy into movement, Lelouch opened his closed eyes and realized his location on the track. _"The finish line's right there!"_ he thought. Speed suddenly burst out of the black-haired teen's legs as he sprinted the remaining 100 meters to get the torment over and done with. He turned back to Suzaku who also began to jog in order to keep pace; the entire time, he had been walking behind Lelouch.

_Walking_!  
>As though the ex-prince needed to suffer even more humiliation.<p>

Lelouch gritted his teeth as he willed his legs to go on.

After crossing the point where they started, the Britannian collapsed onto the grass, dying from lack of breath and exhaustion. Suzaku chuckled lightly as he tossed Lelouch a cold water bottle. From the looks of things, it was as though Suzaku had just been standing for five minutes; he didn't break a sweat at all. Suzaku's friend opened the cap like a greedy child and downed half the bottle on the spot. He sighed out in relief as he capped the bottle once more and tossed it onto the soft grass. He unbuttoned the rest of the buttons of his shirt and took it off completely. His chest glistened with sweat and was visibly moving up and down as Lelouch did his best to catch his breath.

"Great job. " Suzaku commented, trying to act like a real coach by giving his students much-needed motivation. "At least you can run one lap... simply means you're not as hopeless as most of us think you are." His emerald eyes glittered devilishly as he examined Lelouch's status. "We need to run some more. Class won't start for another thirty minutes so we have time. C'mon, up you get." Suzaku bent down and grabbed onto Lelouch's arm, only to be slapped across the face by a panting Lelouch.

"Oh hell no!" Lelouch protested, too tired to realize what he was saying. His eyelids were only half open with fatigue as sweat beaded his reddened cheeks. He had a tired look in his eye as he hissed, "You must think you're so tough, mercilessly making me run against my will. I'm sure Valetta didn't really tell you to needlessly torture your own friend; she's not the type of woman to do that." Lelouch picked up the water bottle and dumped its contents onto his head. He concluded by shifting effortlessly to Suzaku's native language. "You idiot... I'm going back."

Suzaku didn't move as Lelouch got up and gathered his discarded clothes, completely ignoring the Japanese teen. He was completely shocked, even if he knew that it was only a tired Lelouch complaining about the unnecessary work. Those words reminded him too much of Lelouch's Geass... bending people's will and torturing them. It was rather cliché but even Suzaku agreed; he was only doing this to torture Lelouch and get back at Zero for kidnapping precious Nunnally. After all, now he had no idea where Nunnally was or what Zero intended to do with her. If Lelouch was Zero, then this exercise could serve as a form of punishment, but if Lelouch hadn't awakened...

There was no thinking involved.  
>He just needed to see Zero suffer.<p>

Lelouch, not thinking about Suzaku at all, was about to walk off into the bush when a collective group of loud squeals was heard at the edge of the track. Lelouch and Suzaku's heads whipped towards the source of the screaming and found a group of girls pointing wildly at the shirtless Lelouch. One of them was on the ground, completely melted at the site of Lelouch's sexy body.

Lelouch cursed under his breath, realizing who those girls were. "No way..."

One of the girls in the group then screamed out, "Lelouch is shirtless!"

Somehow, her proclamation managed to reach the ears of 90% of those in the girl's dorm nearby. The news spread like an instantaneous wildfire as the squealing quickly spread, a wave of glee washing over those infatuated with the _sexy_ _beast_, Lelouch Lamperouge. Screaming could easily be heard, even from where Lelouch and Suzaku were. The girl who had shouted smiled triumphantly; after all, she was the head of Lelouch's fangirl club and it was her duty to update every participant in the events of Lelouch Lamperouge's life. Lelouch himself had thought he had finally rid himself of them last year through his authority as Vice President – the concept of the existence of a club that worships him was creepy to say the least – but it turns out that the club was still alive and well.

Suzaku could only smirk at the sheer irony. Perhaps this was karma? But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel that Lelouch's hurtful words were right. This is why he still refused to move as the girls stampeded across the track faster than Lelouch had anticipated. Lelouch bolted off through the underbrush to try and get away, screaming in fear before realizing that the noise would only make it easier for the girls to track him down. The group of females chased after him; one of them seemed to produce a net out of thin air and raised it out with a battle cry.

"For Lelouch's heart!" she screamed.

"God, just shut up!" Lelouch cried out in response, a new wave of energy surging through his body as his mind predicted what sorts of despicable things these girls would do if they got their hands on him. Suzaku calmly watched as one of the girls pinpointed the direction Lelouch had run off to, instigating the four of them sprinting off at double the speed Lelouch was going. It wouldn't be long before he had four girls on him, either idolizing his natural beauty or taking pictures to put up on their blogs. After all, a picture of Lelouch shirtless could make a lot of money if sold on campus.

* * *

><p>Lelouch eventually burst out into the open after back-tracking the route Suzaku had taken him. He had reached the fountain once again, where surprisingly the two new students last seen in the Student Council Clubhouse were standing, shocked to see him both running out of the woods and half naked. In the distance, more screaming could be heard as the rustling amidst the trees got closer and closer. The look of relief formed on Lelouch's tired face as he leaped into the fountain and hid behind the wall of the fountain's bowl. He suddenly cursed under his breath. "Got my clothes wet." he muttered.<p>

"Lelouch, what happened?" Kaelin exclaimed worriedly. Nalanie turned her wheelchair around to face Lelouch with a worried expression on as well. "We heard some loud screaming moments ago and thought something was wrong, so we tried looking for you." the lilac-haired teen continued. The rustling seemed to get even closer and Kaelin glanced over to the dense bush before asking, "What were you doing in the brush anyway? And where's Suzaku? Wasn't he with you?"

"Now's not the time for questions, Kallen." Lelouch hissed, referring to the purple-haired girl.

"You mean _Kaelin_." The elder sister replied, enunciating her alias carefully before lifting a hand and removing the hairline to reveal the red hair underneath; a typical move to reveal the truth about her identity. She fixed her wig once more and scanned the area over to make sure no one was within earshot. If anyone, under any circumstances, had learned that they were under false guises, Lelouch would either Geass them to forget or Kallen would beat them up until they were black and blue and were unaware of what had happened; under Zero's discretion, of course. "And before you told me that you wouldn't risk revealing my identity in such a cocky manner."

"Like I said, now is not the time, Kouzuki!" Lelouch snapped a tad bit too loudly for his own good. The girls chasing after him figured out the direction in which his voice had come from and soon burst out of the bush, screaming wildly. Lelouch cursed once more and took in a deep breath before he dipped back under the water. Kaelin and Nalanie understood the problem and slid over to conceal him a bit more. Three girls stopped in front of the fountain and scouted the area while the girl with the net, presumably the group leader, walked towards Kaelin and Nalanie.

"I could have sworn I heard Lelouch's voice but the only people here are those two..." the girl with the net muttered hastily as the other three groaned in disappointment. They all paused in unison for a moment to catch their breath before they began their hectic search for the Ashford Academy Student Council Vice President. The girl holding the net sprinted up to Kaelin and Nalanie and asked, "Have you two seen Lelouch?"

"Umm... who?" Kaelin asked innocently. She was supposed to play a new student at Ashford after all and these girls didn't need to know that she had already met him earlier. Nalanie nodded, explaining how she didn't know who this _Lelouch_ character was as well.

"O-Oh, you two must be new students..." the girl sighed outwardly, realizing the resemblance between the cripple and her elder sister. " That would explain why I haven't seen you two before. Also, everyone on campus should know of Lelouch Lamperouge, Vice President of the Student Council and my future love." A girl still searching the area for Lelouch complained against the fangirl group leader's statement, prompting the girl with the net to say, "Whatever you say, Emily!" before she turned back to Kaelin and Nalanie. "Well, in any case, he's really hot. The four of us just saw Lelouch shirtless and we want to try and get a picture at least. Emily wants to confess to him too."

Nalanie chuckled lightly at the comments the girl was making about her new friend as Kaelin thought, _"Is that really what the girls here think of Lelouch these days? Even when C2 and I were watching over him over the course of his amnesiac year, we never really saw much evidence of his dangerous fangirls."_ Clearly, she wasn't aware of Lelouch's tactics to try and rid himself of his nagging fangirl problem before the Black Rebellion last year.

"We can't find him!" One of the girls admitted with a melancholy look on her face. She had been so excited to spot Lelouch at such a fortunate time; it was a shame to let go of their prize so quickly. Now they didn't have any proof of sighting Lelouch shirtless out in the open after just running. It would have made an amazing story to share with all of the other girls infatuated with the ebony-haired teen, but they lucked out this time.

"Sucks, huh?" the girl with the net replied, also as sad as the others. "I don't know where else to look. How could Lelouch have gotten away so quickly from us? I mean, he's hopeless at athletics!"

"Well, he was running when we spotted him!" Another girl inputted. "Maybe he has been secretly training."

"I suppose you're right."

"We should all probably be getting back now." Kaelin suggested. She looked down at the silver Rolex watch on her wrist as she said, "It's getting late and there's still class. I'm sure that Lelouch will turn up again later today; you can all stalk him then." She smiled at the two as Nalanie agreed with her elder sister's statement, trying to help out with the situation. The four girls easily absorbed their words and took it into consideration.

The two sisters then began to stroll back towards Ashford, prompting the girl with the net along with her fellow partners to follow them. Behind the scenes, they were purposely leading them away from where the ebony-haired teen was hiding so he could have an opportunity to escape. A few paces on, Nalanie was keeping two of the girls distracted with her questions about Ashford as Kaelin glanced back at fountain. She spotted Lelouch looking just over the rim of the fountain basin, watching them carefully as he waited for the perfect opportunity to escape. He sank back down, now watching them from the reflection of the water. A small irregular splash was created as a result.

The girl with the net noticed that Kaelin was watching the fountain and followed her gaze. This is when she noticed a blurry silhouette in the reflection of the water. It was tough to tell from the growing distance and the constantly moving liquid, but the one thing that her eyes honed in on were the pair of sharp violet irises that were attributed to the one man they were looking for.

"L-Lelouch was in the fountain!" she proclaimed in surprise.

Everyone halted abruptly, staring back at the girl and the fountain in surprise. Kaelin's eyes widened as Nalanie too tried to look over her shoulder to see her brother. However, she was incapable of doing so due to Kaelin's stance. The four girls sprinted over to the fountain, all of them screaming "I found him!" in unison, focusing on the pair of sharp purple orbs gazing at them lazily.

Suddenly, they stopped a metre away from the fountain, irresistibly staring at the reflection of what they assumed were Lelouch's eyes in the water. Under normal circumstances, they would have kept running and pounced on Lelouch to catch him; the distance they were at now was too far away to do anything to the man in the fountain. A voice lathered with the undeniable urge to obey it rang out in the air as observation revealed that one of the purple orbs had become a more paranormal red.

"_You will forget everything you have experienced within the past thirty minutes. You will not chase after Lelouch Lamperouge. And if anyone ever asks about what has occurred this morning, you will deny seeing me."_

"Yeah, sure thing." they replied, their own eyes suddenly rimmed with the same red glow as the eye they were currently staring into. A glazed look washed over the four girls as they walked back towards the girl's dorm as though in a deep trance, completely monotonous. The girl with the net even made the net disappear into the thin air she had pulled it out of previously, holding it in a way where it would be unnoticeable without proper observation. Nalanie stared at them in amazement as the four of them walked past hypnotically, completely under Lelouch's will. As soon as they were out of earshot, Lelouch stepped out of the fountain and sighed exasperatedly.

"I didn't want to use my Geass on them, I admit." the ex-prince lamented with a solemn look on his face as he threw on his soggy shirt and made it to Kaelin and Nalanie's side. Kaelin nodded, understanding of the circumstances. "I'm probably going to be late for class now; I still need a change of clothes too. Damn, that Suzaku owes me." Lelouch looked over to Nalanie who remained silent before worry struck him. "Nunnally, you were..."

"N-No... don't worry about anything." Nalanie replied hesitantly. She was still deep in thought. Kaelin wouldn't let her look back at Lelouch at the time and she could only hear what was going on; at the time, Kaelin had completely forgotten that Lelouch's Geass could only work on someone once and because Lelouch had already used Geass on Nunnally to enable her to see, his command wouldn't have affected her anyway. Just from the sounds of the voices, it was clear to Nalanie that this _Geass_ was some form of hypnotic power. She had to assume that this was the same power Lelouch used to help her regain her eyesight. "You'll explain this Geass to me when we talk, right Lelouch?"

"...Of course, Nunna." Lelouch replied softly, in the back of his mind still worried about all of these issues accumulating. He was nervous for when the two of them finally gained an opportunity to have their full-on talk. "I promised, right?" He glanced around and noticed a couple of boys heading for school, talking with one another casually. If he didn't make it back to the Clubhouse soon, others may spot him in his _revealing_ condition which would do nothing beneficial for his reputation. It was difficult to ward off four girls, let alone over a thousand students. Looking back at the two false sisters with worry, he said, "Stay at the Clubhouse for now. I'll meet up with you two there; I just need to go ahead to get into a dry set of clothes."

Nodding in acknowledgment, Kaelin smirked. "We'll see you later, Vice Prez!" The lilac-haired teen called out jokingly as Lelouch grinned and waved back before he ran off at top speed. Kaelin sighed contently as she brushed her younger sister's pink wig hair before giving the wheelchair a much stronger push to accelerate a bit. "So how are you, Nunna? You still well?"

"Yeah, I guess so..." she sighed, purposely sounding depressed. Her perspective on her real brother had shifted completely, especially after witnessing him using Geass on others. On the spot, she had managed to figure out that this Geass enabled him the power to bend another's will; it was a despicable ability that could produce terrifying prospects. It's no wonder he was able to create the Black Knights, the most powerful force to ever counter Britannia in the longest time.

"Hmm, I suppose you're still conflicted about your brother, huh?" Kaelin murmured thoughtfully as the two trekked on, minding their own business. "I'm sure I've already told you, but I was the same way when I found out the truth about Lelouch all those years ago. It took me a long time and a lot of persuasion to get over it, but now I realize the truth of the matter. Reason will come to you in time, Nunna. So just give it a bit of patience."

"I know, I know." Nalanie moaned, not enjoying the _reassuring_ lecture she had heard from Kallen a million times. She remained silent for a bit, listening only to the squeak of the newer version of her old silver wheelchair that Lelouch had provided for her as soon as they had reached the Tokyo Settlement yesterday. Nalanie rubbed her fingers nervously, in her mind debating certain matters before looking up into the eyes of Kallen Kouzuki. "So Kallen..." she started softly. "...Did Lelouch use his Geass on him too? Is that why you're in the Black Knights?"

"Good question." Kaelin hummed, giving Nalanie a half-smile. "I wondered that a while ago as well, but your brother told me that though he did use his Geass on me, it did nothing to influence my major choices. I chose terrorism on my own. I'm sorry Nunna." She picked up the pace a bit more seeing that they were almost at the Clubhouse. "Now that I think about it..." Kaelin reminisced on a particular moment a while back involving Shinjuku. "Never mind. Looks like we're here."

Shirley and Rivalz were walking out of the doors of the Clubhouse together, just in time to hold the door open for Kaelin and Nalanie. "It's great to see you two again!" Shirley exclaimed as she held the door open for the two and waited for Kaelin to push Nalanie up the ramp. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your tour here... I expect you in class soon Kaelin."

"Of course." Kaelin replied before turning to Rivalz who was still gushing at her, his eyes directed to her rack once again. She wanted to slap him again, but he was holding the other door and a slap may cause him to let go of the door and cause harm to Nunnally while doing so. And as a result, Lelouch would not be happy with that news. Instead, she ignored him and walked on. Nalanie took the liberty of thanking him for her, explaining that her sister wasn't interested. Rivalz groaned before he and Shirley headed off for class.

Lelouch then bounded down the stairs in a new dry set of the Ashford uniform, a towel over his shoulders, and a brown book bag containing the textbooks needed for his next few periods in his hand. His hair was freshly dried and combed and his eyes were bright and jubilant at the sight of the two by the base of the stairs. He waved to them and they waved back.

"You two should rest up in my room for now." Lelouch suggested as he made it by their side and gestured over to the elevator nearby, making it convenient for Nalanie's disability. The bell rang in the distance, instigating the start of first period. Lelouch shrugged. "Then again, I didn't plan on attending first period anyway; I'll show you where it is right now."

"No, I think I still remember where your room is, Lelouch." Lelouch was surprised to find that it was Kaelin who said this and not Nalanie. He gave her a sceptical look before she explained, "C2 and I were keeping a tab on you during the year you spent here on your own." She blushed slightly, realizing how embarrassing that must have sounded before Lelouch laughed. "But you need to attend your classes still... it's not good if you keep skipping them."

"Right, right." Lelouch chuckled sarcastically before bending down before Nalanie. He looked around again to make sure no one else was around; one can never be too careful. "Nunnally, how are you enjoying yourself?" he asked calmly, pressing down on Nalanie's cheekbones to remove the facial mask that hid Nunnally's true facial features. He then pecked his sister on the cheek with his lips, causing her to smile. "I hope you are; I had to pull a ton of strings to get you here." His voice made it sound like he was simply joking about the matter and that it was a simple matter to deal with in the end, but Nunnally knew that it was difficult to get the 87th princess of Britannia and captive of the Black Knights into the commoner school.

"I never knew that Ashford was so big!" Nunally exclaimed, her indigo orbs glistening contently. All three of them shared wonderful memories at this school, whether it was something as simple as stressing over school or just being with one another to specific events and festivals the upbeat Milly Ashford held, containing the trademark splendour she seemed to always provide without fail. The crippled girl wrapped her arms around her older brother before whispering in his ear, "Thank you for letting us come back here, Lelouch." She brushed against his neck. "No matter what, I-I love you, big brother."

"...Thank you."

Kallen had turned around to watch those passing by through the small window by the door before looking away and taking off her facial mask as well to scratch one area that had been bothering her all morning. The gel that helped adjusted the shape of her face were irritating her skin, but she wasn't able to relieve the irritation without taking off her mask which is something she couldn't do whenever she chose. "So we're safe here?" the redhead asked, not realizing that she was disturbing a wonderful sibling moment.

Lelouch was released from Nunnally's grip and stood up. "Yes, the two of you should be okay here for now. Just in case, you should keep your disguises on and refrain from referring to one another with your real names. If anyone asks, you have accepted my offer to shelter you here due to Nalanie's disability and the advantages the Student Council clubhouse provides for her. During the week you have before you are forced to make a choice between whether you want to attend Ashford for the remainder of the year, you two will also be sleeping here." The three walked towards the elevator where Lelouch pressed the button for the next floor.

"I've already contacted Sayoko in the Chinese Federation and she told me that she'll be arriving within the week." The three then entered the elevator, waiting for the doors to close before Lelouch continued explaining. "I believe that you should be able to figure out how to get your meals and such; if you have any questions, just shout." The doors opened, revealing a hall on the second floor. They stepped out of the elevator cabin. "The fourth door down is my room; the one beside it is Rolo's. The washroom's just further down and the laundry room's downstairs. You two can stay in my room for now; the other rooms haven't been furnished yet so..."

Kallen placed a hand on Lelouch's shoulder, causing him to stop his explanation of everything. She accepted his thoughtfulness and worry for their well-being, but she could handle herself. After all, Zero trusted her to care for his most beloved person. "Like you said, we should be able to figure out the system. But thank you." Kallen walked over to Lelouch's room, opened the door, and smiled. "Good thing you're a neat freak; I can't stand messy rooms." Nunnally giggled as well as Kallen waved Lelouch farewell, cuing for him to leave.

Realizing what was going on, Lelouch nodded in reply, smiling gratefully. "Take care then, you two." the Vice President called out before bounding down the stairs for the third time that morning. "I'll drop by during my lunch period to check up on the two of you, which reminds me; the kitchen—"

"We'll be fine, Lelouch-senpai!" Nunnally yelled back, playing the role of a Japanese-Britannian hybrid named Nalanie once more. "Iroiro arigatou gozaimasu! Thank you for everything!" She looked to Kallen, her eyes wondering if she had translated that properly and Kallen nodded, impressed with the princess' apparent knowledge in Japanese. Nunnally waved calmly until Lelouch was out of sight.

"Mondai nai!" was Lelouch's playful response before he lazily tossed the towel on his shoulder onto the ottoman by the window and exited the door back out into the outside world, playing the role of a traditional Ashford student once more. His truly content smile dispersed as the mask of a cool and collected Lelouch Lamperouge was placed onto his face once more. Kallen took the liberty to cart Nunnally over to one of the large windows in Lelouch's room so they could watch him walk off until they were satisfied. They knew he wasn't going to class; it was a habit of his to always miss first period to read up on the roof.

Kallen's eyebrow quirked up; she was surprised to see the true beauty of one of Lelouch's real smiles. She then looked to Nunnally, the only real lucky recipient of such gorgeous smiles. "I suppose I'm going to take a little washroom break, alright Nalanie?" Kallen explained before turning the wheelchair to face the door. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere without me."

"Yeah, just go."

Kallen then stepped from behind Nunnally's wheelchair before walking down the hall towards the door Lelouch had pointed out previously. Nunnally could hear a door open before closing once more. Now that everything was silent, she wheeled herself over to Lelouch's bed to lie down and rest a bit. The covers smelled a lot like lavender, her brother's trademark scent. The mattress was soft as she closed her eyes, allowing the darkness to engulf her. A yawn escaped her lips; she decided to take a nap until her big brother visited over for lunch later today.

In the silence, the metallic sound of sharp steel gliding against one another in the brunette's hands was audible. No one had questioned where he had been the entire time; frankly, no one cared. Being completely ignored after being replaced hurt his feelings. He had been debating whether or not he should do something about this and in the end he had decided.

But that was all in the past.  
>Right now, the only thing that mattered was where he was now.<p>

"...Is there someone there?" Nunnally murmured, half to herself. She turned onto her other side to see a silhouette of a person hidden in the dark corner of Lelouch's room. "Kaelin-nee san... is that you? Back from your bathroom break so quickly?" She squinted, her vision blurred from that moment she had closed them. The person stepped out into the open, the blade hidden behind his back.

"That's incorrect, Nunnally vi Britannia." he replied coldly. "I'm Rolo."

Nunnally, unsuspecting of anything, smiled. Her brother told her a bit about this Rolo character. She pushed against the mattress to sit up and get a better look at Rolo. His looks really do look as though he were related to the three of them; his brown hair and indigo eyes did make it seem as though he shared some form of connection between Nunnally herself at least. "Lelouch told me about you... this makes us siblings, right? Rolo-ani, it's good to see you."

Rolo stopped in his tracks.  
>She called her his brother.<p>

"...I'm not your brother..." he hissed underneath his hot breath, his clutch tightening around the blade. He looked down onto the ground, the family term getting to him. Such a futile weakness, but nevertheless, "...Only big brother has the right to call me that...!" He was shivering, showing Nunnally his falter. In his anger, he looked up to face Nunnally's innocently smiling face and activated his Geass, feeling his heart stop in the process.

He pulled out the blade from behind his back.

* * *

><p>AN: DONE!

It is done, it is done, it is _done_!

This was definitely a difficult chapter for me to write. I'm already anticipating a few comments on how out-of-character Lelouch, Suzaku, and a few others may have been which is why I am admitting my weakness now. I can also admit that I rushed this chapter, especially the scene where Suzaku was forcing Lelouch to run the track. Running 400 metres isn't that hard, but Lelouch just ran ten minutes prior to that so fatigue was a huge factor in his actions afterwards.

And before you ask, no, I wasn't misspelling Kallen and Nunnally's name throughout the chapter. Kaelin and Nalanie Thompson are the pseudonyms I have decided they shall go by while in Ashford. It serves as a form of dramatic irony in the story; the characters (aside from those who obviously know the truth) cannot connect the relatively similar names and their true identities together. Suzaku does get suspicious, as will be seen in the next chapter.

Weekly updates were my promise and I will still do my best to stick to that pledge. Thank you everyone for sticking around; the many favs, subs, and reviews are hearty for the budding writer's soul. In fact, I've been accumulating how many emails I get from this story alone and I already have over 100 ^^; And that's only for three chapters! _Arigatou_ _gozaimasu_!

Comments, questions, and critiques are well appreciated. Feel free to submit beta-reader offers or new ideas as well.

And to those who were hoping to see the Black Knight's party, my planning says that you should see that in about three-four chapters.

I'll see you all Chapter 5!


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